GIFT  OF 
ELLA   STERLING  MIOHELS 


> 


THE 

O  A  K-T  REE 
0     FAIRY 
BOOK;r 

FAVORITE    FAIRY    TALES 


EDITED    BY 

CLIFTON  JOHNSON 
M 

ILLUSTRATED    BY 

WILLARD  BONTE 


BOSTON 

LITTLE,  BROWN,  AND    COMPANY 

1905 


-3"  5$ 


Copyright,  1905, 
BY  LITTLE,  BROWN,  AND  COMPANY. 


All  rights  reserved 


Published  November,  1905 

GIFTO* 

Uzfc*% 


printers 
8.  J.  PARKHILL  &  Co.,  BOSTON,  U.  S.  A. 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE 

HERE  are  the  old  favorites  in  a  version 
especially  suited  for  the  home  fireside. 
The  interest,  the  charm,  and  all  the  sweet- 
ness have  been  retained ;  but  savagery,  distressing 
details,  and  excessive  pathos  have  been  dropped. 
Surely  our  little  people  are  better  off  without  some 
of  the  sentiments  of  that  barbaric  past  when  the 
tales  originated.  Felix  Adler,  in  his  notable  work 
on  "  The  Moral  Education  of  Children,"  years 
ago  appealed  for  just  such  a  version  as  this, 
wherein  there  should  be  "  less  of  falsehood,  glut- 
tony, drunkenness,  and  evil  in  general "  than  in 
the  usual  tellings,  and  from  which  "  malicious  step- 
mothers and  cruel  fathers  should  be  excluded." 
The  same  need  has  been  widely  felt  by  parents  and 
teachers.  "The  Oak-Tree  Fairy  Book"  supplies 
this  want,  and  can  be  read  aloud  or  placed  in  the 
hands  of  the  children  with  entire  confidence.  The 
changes  are  not,  however,  very  radical  in  most 
instances,  and  I  have  made  no  alteration  in  inci- 


1664 


viii  INTRODUCTORY  NOTE 

dents  where  there  did  not  seem   to   be   an  ethical 
necessity  for  so  doing. 

The  first  sixteen  tales  in  this  book  have  a  special 
claim  to  the  attention  of  American  readers,  for  they 
were  picked  up  in  this  country.  Two  or  three  of 
them  are  to  be  found  in  nearly  all  our  fairy-tale 
collections,  and  it  would  not  be  safe  to  say  that  any 
of  them  originated  here ;  yet  there  are  none  of  the 
sixteen  but  that  differ  in  an  interesting  way  from  the 
usual  versions,  and  most  of  them  are  quite  unfa- 
miliar to  the  present  generation.  I  am  indebted  for 
them  to  friends  and  correspondents  and  to  the 
American  Journal  of  Folk  Lore.  Readers  acquainted 
with  similar  tales  not  in  the  ordinary  collections  will 
confer  a  favor  if  they  will  communicate  with  me. 

CLIFTON  JOHNSON 
HADLEY,  MASS. 


If  the  stories  you  read  in  the  following  pages  and  the  pictures  that  illustrate 
them  please  you,  watch  for  "  The  Birch-Tree  Fairy  Book  "  next  year. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


JOHNNY-CAKE i 

THE  TWIST-MOUTH  FAMILY 9 

THE  TALE  OF  A  BLACK  CAT 12 

THE  TALKING  EGGS 17 

THE  TRAVELS  OF  A  Fox 27 

JACK  AND  THE  BEAN-STALK        .      .      . 34 

THE  Two  BROTHERS  AND  THE  OLD  WITCH      ....  46 

THE  OLD  WOMAN  AND  HER  PIG 59 

LADY  FEATHERFLIGHT 63 

THE  LITTLE  RED  HEN  AND  THE  WHEAT 83 

A  BEAR  STORY 86 

FOOLISH  JIM  AND  CLEVER  JAMES 87 

THE  BEGGAR  AND  THE  PRINCESS 93 

THE  OGRE'S  WIFE 99 

THE  Fox  AND  THE  LITTLE  RED  HEN 107 

THE  HOBYAHS in 

THE  THREE  BEARS 118 

ToM-TiT-ToT 124 

THE  KING  OF  THE  GOLDEN  MOUNTAIN 133 

LITTLE  RED  RIDING-HOOD 146 

THE  FOUR  MUSICIANS 152 


x  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

TEENY-TINY 160 

THE  WOLF  AND  THE  SEVEN  LITTLE  GOSLINGS  .     .     .     .  163 

THE  MAGIC  FIDDLE 168 

THE  CLEVER  WIFE 178 

TITTY  MOUSE  AND  TATTY  MOUSE 187 

THE  STORY  OF  CHICKEN-LICKEN 192 

KING  O'TOOLE  AND  HIS  GOOSE 196 

THE  THREE  LITTLE  PIGS 202 

THE  FAIRY  Cow 210 

THE  MASTER  OF  ALL  MASTERS 215 

MR.   MICRAWBLE 219 

THE  FISHERMAN  AND  HIS  WIFE 226 

CINDERELLA 236 

HOP-O'-MY-THUMB 251 

BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST 266 

THE  FATE  OF  A    LITTLE  OLD  WOMAN 282 

THE  DONKEY,  THE  TABLE,  AND  THE  STICK        .     .     .     .  286 

MR.  VINEGAR 303 

THE  GIANT  OF  THE  BLACK  MOUNTAINS 311 

LAZY  JACK 322 

THE  ELVES  AND  THE  SHOEMAKER 328 

THE  WISE  MEN  OF  GOTHAM 333 

THE  SALT  FISH  AND  THE  EEL       . 337 

A  MISSING  MAN  FOUND 341 

THE  KETTLE  THAT  WOULD  NOT  WALK          344 

THE  LITTLE  HORSE  AND  ITS  KIND  MASTER        .      .      .      .  347 

THE  GOTHAM   MEN  AND  THE  CUCKOO 349 

THE  HARE  THAT  WAS  SENT  TO  YORK 351 


CONTENTS  xi 

PAGE 

THE  CRANE  IN  THE  WHEATFIELDS 353 

THE   MEN  OF  GOTHAM  AND  THE  WATCH 356 

THE  CHEESES  THAT  RAN  AWAY 358 

THE  LOST  LEGS 361 

THE  HIDING  OF  THE  CHURCH  BELL 363 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 


Jack  and  the  beanstalk Frontispiece 

Johnny-cake  started  toward  the  open  door 2 

On  went  Johnny-cake 2 

The  bear  hurried  after  Johnny-cake 3 

On  ran  Johnny-cake .  5 

Johnny-cake  and  the  fox 7 

The  father  blows  upward 9 

The  mother  blows  downward 10 

Mary  blows  out  of  the  right  corner  of  her  mouth  .  I  o 

Dick  blows  out  of  the  left  corner  of  his  mouth       ....  1 1 

John  blows  straight 1 1 

The  black  cat 12 

A  pail  of  water  from  the  well 1 8 

The  witch  takes  off  her  head  and  combs  her  hair        ...  19 

The  snakes  and  toads  and  frogs  followed  her 23 

The  witch 25 

The  fox  goes  off  with  the  rooster 28 

The  end  of  the  fox 32 

Jac!  asks  for  something  to  eat 39 

Running  away  with  the  giant's  bedquilt 45 

He  picked  up  the  bag 4.7 

The  tree  shakes  its  apples  down  on  the  old  witch       ...  57 


xiv  LIST   OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

FACE 

The  old  woman  and  her  pig 61 

The  giant  pulls  Jack  out  of  the  cupboard 66 

The  magic  forest  stops  the  giant 75 

The  little  red  hen  and  her  bread .  85 

A  bear  story 86 

Jim  finds  a  basket  of  cakes 90 

The  princess  on  the  balcony .  95 

The  crocodile  dived 105 

The  fox  brings  home  the  little  red  hen 109 

One  night  the  Hobyahs  came 1 1 1 

The  Hobyahs  run  off 1 1 1 

The  little  girl  in  the  bag 1 1 6 

The  big  dog  jumps  out 117 

Golden  Hair  is  found  by  the  three  bears 122 

Tom-Tit-Tot  is  angry 131 

The  merchant  begs  the  dwarf  not  to  take  his  son  .     .     .     .  135 

The  giants  began  a  desperate  struggle 143 

Little  Red  Riding-Hood  meets  the  wolf 147 

At  the  robbers'  window 156 

The  teeny-tiny  woman  on  her  way  to  the  teeny-tiny  field    .  1 6 1 

They  set  forth  in  search  of  the  wolf 166 

"Have  pity,  have  pity  !  "  begged  the  old  man     .     .     .     .  173 

She  tumbled  him  into  the  big  box 185 

Titty  Mouse  and  Tatty  Mouse 187 

Fox-lox  shows  the  way 195 

He  threw  the  bird  up  into  the  air 198 

The  wolf  is  terrified       ....  - 207 

Out  leaped  the  fairy  cow 213 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS  xv 


PAGE 


The  servant  pounds  on  her  master's  door 217 

Mr.  Micrawble  catches  Tommy 220 

Tommy  asks  about  the  pudding 223 

The  fisherman  releases  the  fish 227 

Another  talk  with  the  fish  magician 229 

Cinderella  brings  the  pumpkin 241 

One  of  her  slippers  dropped  off 247 

The  ogre  in  his  seven-league  boots 261 

Hop-o'-my-Thumb  gets  the  magic  boots 264 

The  merchant  pleads  with  the  beast 272 

Beauty  and  the  mirror 277 

Sir  Gammer  Vans  pops  out  of  the  thumb  bottle     .     .     .     .  283 

Jack  and  the  goat 286 

The  landlord  steals  the  donkey 291 

The  magic  stick  punishes  the  innkeeper 299 

Mr.  Vinegar  gets  the  door  on  his  back 304 

The  owl  laughs  at  Mr.  Vinegar ,     .     .     .  309 

Suddenly  a  huge  giant  appeared 312 

The  witch  hurried  off  to  tell  the  giant 319 

Lazy  Jack  brings  home  a  cheese 325 

Carrying  the  donkey 327 

Watching  the  elves 330 

A  dispute 334 

Drowning  the  eel 339 

Finding  the  missing  man 343 

He  told  the  kettle  where  he  lived 345 

The  little  horse  and  its  kind  master 348 

A  fence  for  the  cuckoo 350 


xvi  LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

A  messenger 352 

Saving  the  wheat 354 

An  evil  spirit  destroyed 357 

Sending  the  cheeses  to  Nottingham 359 

The  lost  legs 362 

Saving  the  church  bell 364 

The  end 366 


THE  OAK-TREE  FAIRY  BOOK 


JOHNNY-CAKE 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  an  old  man 
and  an  old  woman  and  a  little  boy.     One 
morning  the  old  man  got  up  and  started 
the  kitchen  fire,  and  the  old  woman  got  up  and 
made   a   Johnny-cake  and   put  it  in  the   oven  to 
bake  it. 

The  little  boy  slept  in  the  kitchen,  and  the  old 
woman  shook  him  to  awaken  him,  and  said,  "  Your 
father  and  I  are  going  out  to  work  in  the  garden, 
and  do  you  get  up,  and  pretty  soon  y6u,  ffiu.st  turn- 
the  Johnny-cake." 

So  the  old  man  and  old  womUn /went  :ou£,attd; 
began  to  hoe  potatoes  in  the  garden  and  left  the 
little  boy  to  watch  the  oven ;  but  the  little  boy  was 
lazy,  and  he  lay  snug  and  warm  in  bed,  half  asleep. 

By-and-by  he  said  to  himself,  "  Oh,  dear,  I  shall 
have  to  get  up  to  turn  the  Johnny-cake ! " 

But    the    Johnny-cake    called    out,    "No,    you 
needn't;    I  can  turn  myself." 

The  little  boy  was  not  sure  about  that,  and  he 


2  JOHNNY-CAKE 

scrambled  out  of  bed  and  began  to  dress ;  but  he 
had  only  got  his  trousers  on  when  he  saw  the  oven- 
door  swing  back,  and  out  jumped 
Johnny-cake  and  .started  toward  the 
open  door  of  the  house.  The  little  boy 
ran  to  shut  the  door,  but  Johnny-cake  was 
too  quick  for  him  and  was  down  the  steps  and  out 
into  the  road  before  the  little  boy  could  catch  him. 

"  Johnny-cake 's  running  away,  Johnny-cake's 
running  away  !  "  shouted  the  little  boy,  and  hur- 
ried after  him  as  fast  as  he  could  scamper,  and 
the  old  man  and  old  woman  threw  down  their 
hoes  and  hastened  to  join  in  the  chase. 

But  Johnny-cake  outran  all  three,  and  shortly 
was  gone  from  sight,  and  his  pursuers  sat  down, 
'panting  for;  .brjeath,  on  a  bank  to  rest. 
'  On  went  Johnny-cake,  and  by-and- 
'by' 'he  :  earti£it.to  four  mowers  in  a 
meadow,  who  looked  up  from  their 
work  and  called  out,  "  Where  are  ye  going,  Johnny- 
cake?" 

"Oh,"  said  Johnny-cake,  "I've  outrun  an  old 
man  and  an  old  woman  and  a  little  boy,  and  I  can 
outrun  you,  too-o-o  !  " 

"Ye  can,  can  ye  ?  We  '11  see  about  that !  "  said 
they,  and  they  threw  down  their  scythes  and  ran 


JOHNNY-CAKE  5 

after  him;  but  they  could  not  catch  up  with  him, 
and  presently  they  had  to  sit  down  by  the  road- 
side to  rest. 

On    ran    Johnny-cake,    and    by-and- 
by  he  came  to  two  ditch-diggers,  who 
"were   digging  a    ditch. 
"Where  are  ye  going,  Johnny-cake?  "  they 
asked. 

"  Oh,"  said  he,  "  I  've  outrun  an  old  man  and 
an  old  woman  and  a  little  boy  and  four  mowers, 
and  I  can  outrun  you,  too-o-o  I " 

"Ye  can,  can  ye?  We'll  see  about  that!"  said 
they,  and  they  threw  down  their  spades  and  ran 
after  him;  but  Johnny-cake  soon  outstripped  them, 
and,  seeing  they  could  never  catch  him,  they  gave 
up  the  chase  and  sat  down  to  rest. 

On  went  Johnny-cake,  and  by-and- 
by  he  came  to  a  bear. 

"  Where    are    ye    going,   Johnny- 
cake  ? "  the  bear  asked. 

"Oh,"  said  Johnny-cake,  "I've  outrun  an  old 
man  and  an  old  woman  and  a  little  boy  and  four 
mowers  and  two  ditch-diggers,  and  I  can  outrun 
you,  too-o-o!" 

"  Ye  can,  can  ye  ?  We  '11  see  about  that !  " 
growled  the  bear,  and  hurried  as  fast  as  his  legs 


6  JOHNNY-CAKE 

could  carry  him  after  Johnny-cake,  who  kept  right 
on  along  the  road. 

Pretty  soon  the  bear  was  left  so  far  behind  that 
he  saw  he  might  as  well  give  up  the  hunt  first  as 
last.  So  he  stretched  himself  by  the  wayside  to  rest. 
On  went  Johnny-cake,  and  by-and- 
by  he  came  to  a  wolf. 
Where  are  ye  going,  Johnny-cake  ? " 
the  wolf  asked. 

"  Oh,"  said  Johnny-cake,  "  I  've  outrun  an  old 
man  and  an  old  woman  and  a  little  boy  and  four 
mowers  and  two  ditch-diggers  and  a  bear,  and  I  can 
outrun  you,  too-o-o  /" 

"Ye  can,  can  ye?  We'll  see  about  that!" 
snarled  the  wolf;  and  he  set  off  at  a  gallop  after 
Johnny-cake,  who  went  on  and  on  so  fast  that  the 
wolf  soon  saw  there  was  no  hope  of  catching  him, 
and  lay  down  to  rest. 

On   went  Johnny-cake,  and    by-and- 
by  he  came  to  a  fox,  who  was  stretched 
out  for  a  nap  among  some    bushes  a 
little  aside  from  the  road. 

The  fox  heard  Johnny-cake  coming,  and  he  cried 
out  in  a  sharp  voice,  without  getting  up,  "  Where 
are  ye  going,  Johnny-cake?" 

"  Oh,"  said  Johnny-cake,  "  I  've  outrun  an  old 


JOHNNY-CAKE  7 

man  and  an  old  woman  and  a  little  boy  and  four 
mowers  and  two  ditch-diggers  and  a  bear  and  a  wolf, 
and  I  can  outrun  you,  too-o-o!  " 

The  fox  said,  "  I   can't  quite  hear  ye,  Johnny- 
cake.     Won't  ye  come  a  little  closer? " 


So  Johnny-cake  went  a  little  closer,  and  called 
out  in  a  very  loud  voice,  "I've  outrun  an  old  man 
and  an  old  woman  and  a  little  boy  and  four  mowers  and 
two  ditch-diggers  and  a  bear  and  a  wotf,  and  I  can  out- 
run you ,  TOO-O-O  !  " 

"  I  can't  quite  hear  ye.  Won't  ye  come  a  little 
closer?"  said  the  fox,  putting  a  paw  behind  one  of 
his  ears  to  help  him  hear  better. 

So  Johnny-cake  came  up  quite  close,  and  screamed 
out  still  louder,  "I  'VE  OUTRUN  AN  OLD  MAN  AND 

AN  OLD  WOMAN  AND  A  LITTLE  BOY  AND  FOUR 
MOWERS  AND  TWO  DITCH-DIGGERS  AND  A  BEAR  AND 
A  WOLF,  AND  I  CAN  OUTRUN  YOU,  TOO-O-O  !  " 


8  JOHNNY-CAKE 

"  Ye  can,  can  ye  ? "  yelped  the  fox,  and  he 
snapped  up  Mr.  Johnny-cake  in  his  sharp  teeth 
and  ate  him ;  and  that  was  the  end  of  poor 
Johnny-cake. 


Tbe  bear  hurried  as  fast  as  his  legs  could  carry  him  after  Johnny-cake* 


THE    TWIST-MOUTH    FAMILY 

THERE  was  once  a  father  and  a   mother 
and  several  children,  and  all  but  one  of 
them    had    their    mouths  twisted    out    of 
shape.      The    one  whose   mouth  was    not    twisted 
was  a  son  named  John. 

When  John  got  to  be  a  young  man  he  was  sent 
to  college,  and  on  the  day  he  came  home  for  his 
first  vacation  the  family  sat  up  late  in  the  evening 
to  hear  him  tell  of  all  he  had  learned.  But 
finally  they  prepared  to  go  to  bed,  and  the  mother 
said,  "  Father,  will  you  blow  out  the  light  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  will,"  was  his  reply. 

"  Well,  I  wish  you  would,"  said  she. 

"Well,  I  will,"  he  said. 

So  he  blew,  but  his  mouth 
was  twisted  and  he  blew  up- 
ward, this  way  —  and  he 
could  n't  blow  out  the  light. 

Then  he  said,  "Mother, 
will  you  blow  out  the  light  ? " 


10  THE    TWIST-MOUTH    FAMILY 

"  Yes,  I  will,"  was  her  reply. 

"  Well,  I  wish  you  would,"  said  he. 

"  Well,  I  will,"  she  said. 

So  she  blew,  but  her  mouth  was 
twisted  and  she  blew  downward, 
this  way  —  and  she  couldn't  blow 
out  the  light. 

Then  she  spoke  to  her  daugh- 
ter and  said,  "  Mary,  will  you  blow 
out  the  light  ?  " 
"  Yes,  I  will,"  was  Mary's  reply. 
"  Well,  I  wish  you  would,"  said  her  mother. 
"Well,  I  will,"  Mary  said. 
So   Mary  blew,  but  her  mouth 
was  twisted  and  she  blew  out  of 
the    right    corner  of  her    mouth,  ^ 
this  way  —  and  she  could  n't  blow 
out  the  light. 

Then  Mary  spoke  to  one  of  her 
brothers   and  said,  "  Dick,  will  you  blow  out  the 
light?" 

"Yes,  I  will,"  was  Dick's  reply. 
"  Well,  I  wish  you  would,"  said  Mary. 
"Well,  I  will,"  Dick  said. 

So  Dick  blew,  but  his  mouth  was  twisted,  and 
he  blew  out  of  the  left  corner  of  his   mouth,  this 


THE   TWIST-MOUTH   FAMILY  * 


II 


way  —  and  he    could  n't  blow  out 
the  light. 

Then  Dick  said,  "  John,  will  you 
blow  out  the  light  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  will,"  was  John's  reply. 

"Well,  I  wish  you  would,"  said 
Dick. 

"  Well,  I  will,"  John  said. 

So  John  blew,  and  his  mouth  was  not  twisted 
and  he  blew  straight,  this  way — and  he  blew  out 
the  light. 

The  light  was  out,  and  they  were  all  glad  that 
John  had  succeeded,  and  the  father  said,  "  What  a 
blessed  thing  it  is  to  have  larnin*  ! " 


THE   TALE   OF   A   BLACK  CAT 

ONCE  there  was  a  little  boy  named  Tommy ; 
and    there 's    a  "  .    That  stands  for 

Tommy.  I 

Tommy's  house  was  not  a  very  good  one.' 
So  he  built  a  new  wall  on  this  side  of  it. 

And  then  he  built  a  new  wall  on  that  side 
of  it. 

You  can  see  now  that  he  had  two  nice  rooms  in 
his  house,  though  not  very  large.  Next  he  put  in 
windows  to  look  out  of — one  in  this  room\Q| 
—  and  one  in  that  room.^la/ 

Then  he  made   a  tall    ^V      chimney 


00 

on  this  side  of  his  house.  n  \J/ 

And  then  he  made  a  tall  \n|D/  chimney  on  the 
other  side  of  his  house.  \|/ 

After  that  he  started  some  grass  beside  his  door, 

like  this. 

a/        Not    far    away    from    Tommy's    house 
lived  a  little  girl  J|        fl 
named    Sally;  V|°/ and  there 's  an     C 
That  stands  for  Sally.  JC 


THE   TALE    OF   A   BLACK   CAT 


When  Tommy  had  finished  his  house  he  thought 
he  would  like  to  go  and  tell  Sally  what  he  had  been 
doing,  so  he  came  out 
of  his  door  and  walked 
along,  this  way,  over  to 
where  she  lived. 

Sally  was  glad  to  see  him,  and  he  went  into 
the  ^itchen  and  sat  down  and  explained  to  her 
how  he  had  built  two  new  walls  to  his  house 
and  put  in  windows  and  made  two  tall  chim- 
neys, and  how  he  had  started  the  grass  in  front 
of  his  door.  "  And  now,  Sally,"  said  he,  "  I  want 
you  to  come  over  and  see  how  well  I  Ve  fixed 
things." 

"  I  '11  put  on  my  bonnet  and  go  right  back  with 
you,"  said  Sally ;  but  when  she  was  ready  to  start 
she  said,  "  We  might  go  down  cellar  first  and  get 
some  apples  to  eat  on  the  way." 

So  they  went  down  cellar,  like  this. 


14  THE   TALE   OF   A   BLACK    CAT 

They  got  some  apples,  and  then  they  came  up 
outdoors  by  the  hatchway,  like  this. 


L 


Now  they  started  for  Tommy's  house,  but  the 
walking  was  bad,  and  they  had  gone  only  u  few  steos 
when  they  tumbled  down,  like  this. 


However,  they  were  quickly  up,  like  this. 


And  they  walked  along  until  they  were  nearly  to 


THE   TALE   OF   A    BLACK   CAT  15 

Tommy's  house    when  they  tumbled   down  again, 
like  this. 


And  they  were  no  sooner  up  on  their  feet,  like  this, 


irniu 

than  they  tumbled  down  once  more,  like  this. 


III 111 


But  they  were  nearly  to  Tommy's  house  now,  and 


1 6  THE   TALE    OF   A    BLACK    CAT 

they  got  up  and  were  going  into  the  yard  straight 
toward  the  door,  like  this, 


III 


—  when  Sally  pointed  toward  the  doorstep  and 
cried  out,  "  O-o-o-o-o-o-oh  !  See  that  big  BLACK 
CAT ! " 


m 


THE  TALKING  EGGS 

THERE  was  once  a  girl  named 
Blanche,  and  when  she  was  ten 
years  old  her  father  and  mother 
died,  and  she  went  to  live  with  an  aunt 
who  had  a  daughter  Rose.  This  daugh- 
ter was  selfish  and  disagreeable,  and  yet 
her  mother  did  everything  she  could  for 
her ;  while  she  treated  Blanche,  who  was 
pleasant  and  obliging,  very  badly.  Rose 
could  sit  all  day  long  in  a  rocking-chair  and  do 
nothing  if  she  chose,  but  Blanche  was  kept  con- 
stantly at  work,  and  had  to  eat  in  the  kitchen. 
Among  other  things,  she  was  obliged  to  go  twice  a 
day  to  bring  water  from  a  well  more  than  a  mile 
and  a  half  distant  from  the  house. 

One  morning,  when  she  approached  the  well  with 
her  bucket,  she  found  an  old  woman  standing  beside 
the  well  who  said,  "Pray,  my  little  one,  give  me  a 
drink,  for  I  am  very  thirsty." 


1 8  THE   TALKING   EGGS 

"That  I  will  do  gladly,"  replied  Blanche,  and 
she  drew  from  the  well  a  nice  fresh  bucketful. 

The  old  woman  drank,  and  then  said,  "  Thank 
you,  my  child,  you  are  a  good  girl,  and  I  shall  not 
forget  your  kindness." 

A  few  days  afterward  Blanche  was  used  so 
roughly  by  her  aunt  that  she  ran  away  into  the 
woods.  She  was  afraid  to  return  home,  and  she 
sat  down  at  the  foot  of  a  great  tree  and  cried,  and 
knew  not  what  to  do.  But  pretty  soon  she  saw  the 
old  woman  who  had  spoken  to  her  at  the  well 
coming  toward  her. 

"  Ah,  my  child,"  said  the  old  woman,  "  why  are 
you  crying?  What  has  hurt  you?" 

"  My  aunt,  with  whom  I  live,  has  beaten 
me,"  Blanche  answered,  "  and  I  am  afraid  to  go 
home." 

"  Well,  my  dear,"  the  old  woman  said,  "  come 
with  me,  and  I  will  give  you  some  supper  and  a 
bed ;  but  you  must  promise  not  to  laugh  at  any- 
thing you  will  see." 

Blanche  promised,  and  the  old  woman  took  her 
by  the  hand  and  they  walked  on  deeper  into  the 
woods  until  they  arrived  at  the  old  woman's  cabin. 
When  they  went  inside  the  old  woman  said,  "  Now 
you  make  a  fire,  my  child,  to  cook  the  supper  for  us." 


THE   TALKING   EGGS 


While  Blanche  made  the  fire  the  old  woman  sat 
down  in  her  chair  beside  the  hearth  and  took  off  her 
head,  and  after  adjusting  it  carefully  on  her  knees 
she  combed  her  hair.  Blanche  thought  that  very 
strange,  and  she  was  a  little  frightened,  but  she  said 
nothing. 

Presently  the  old  woman  set  her  head  back  on 
her  shoulders  and  went  to  a  cupboard  and  took  out 
a  large  bone.  "  Here,"  said  she,  handing  the  bone 
to  Blanche,  "  put  this  in  the  pot 
that  hangs  on  the  crane." 

Blanche  put  the  bone  in  the  pot, 
and  lo!    in  a  moment   the  pot  was 
full  of  good  meat.     Then 
the  old  woman  gave 
Blanche    a   grain    of  rice 
and  said,  "You  see  that 
wooden  mortar  in  the  cor- 
ner with  the   pestle 
in  it  ?     Put  this  grain 
of  rice  into  the  mor- 
tar and  pound  it." 

So  Blanche  put  the 
grain  of  rice  into  the 
mortar  and  began  to 
pound  it,  and  imme- 


20  THE   TALKING    EGGS 

diately  the  mortar  was  full  of  rice,  and  this  they 
cooked,  and  had  it  and  the  meat  for  their  supper. 

The  next  morning,  after  breakfast,  the  old  woman 
said  to  Blanche,  "  You  must  now  return  home,  but, 
as  you  are  a  good  girl,  I  want  to  make  you  a  pres- 
ent of  some  talking  eggs.  Go  to  the  chicken- 
house,  and  all  the  eggs  which  say  c  Take  me  ! '  you 
may  carry  away  with  you ;  and  all  those  which  say 
c  Do  not  take  me ! '  you  must  leave.  When  you 
are  on  your  way  home  throw  the  eggs  behind  your 
back  to  break  them." 

Blanche  did  just  as  she  was  bidden.  She  went 
to  the  chicken-house,  and  the  eggs  in  the  nests 
began  to  speak,  and  some  said,  "  Take  me ! "  and 
some  said,  "  Do  not  take  me ! "  Those  that  said 
"  Take  me !  "  she  put  in  her  apron  and  carried 
away  with  her,  and  when  she  had  walked  to  the 
borders  of  the  forest  she  stopped  and  threw  the 
eggs  one  by  one  behind  her  back. 

Many  pretty  things  came  out  of  those  eggs  — 
diamonds,  gold,  beautiful  dresses,  and,  lastly,  a 
splendid  carriage  with  two  fine  horses  and  a  driver. 
She  put  the  dresses  and  diamonds  and  gold  into  the 
carriage,  and  then  got  in  herself  and  was  driven 
home ;  and  you  may  be  sure  her  aunt  was  very 
much  surprised  to  see  her  when  she  came  with 


THE   TALKING    EGGS  21 

such  riches,  and  wanted  to  know  where  she  got 
them. 

So  Blanche  told  how  she  had  met  the  old  woman 
in  the  woods,  and  how  the  old  woman  took  her 
home  and  kept  her  over  night,  and  how  in  the 
morning  the  old  woman  had  given  her  the  talking 
eggs  that  were  no  sooner  broken  than  there  came 
forth  from  them  all  the  wonderful  things  she  had 
brought  home. 

Her  aunt  was  far  from  pleased  that  Blanche 
should  have  so  much  and  her  own  daughter  so 
little,  and  the  next  day  she  said,  "  Rose,  you  must 
go  to  the  forest,  now,  and  look  for  that  same  old 
woman,  for  I  want  you  to  have  as  many  nice  things 
as  Blanche  has." 

The  plan  suited  Rose  very  well,  and  she  went 
to  the  woods  and  wandered  about  until  she  met  the 
old  woman.  It  was  then  late  in  the  afternoon,  and 
Rose  said,  "  Please,  ma'am,  will  you  take  me  home 
with  you  ?  It  is  a  long  way  to  my  own  home." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  old  woman,  "  you  can  go  with 
me,  for  it  is  almost  dark,  but  you  must  not  laugh 
at  anything  you  see." 

So  they  walked  on  deeper  into  the  woods  until 
they  arrived  at  the  old  woman's  cabin.  They  went 
inside,  and  when  the  old  woman  sat  down  and  took 


22  THE   TALKING   EGGS 

off  her  head  to  comb  her  hair  Rose  laughed.  Rose 
laughed,  too,  at  all  the  other  things  she  saw  that 
were  strange,  and  tried  to  make  funny  remarks 
about  them. 

"  Ah !  my  child,"  said  the  old  woman,  "  you  are 
not  a  good  girl,  and  I  fear  you  will  be  punished  for 
your  actions." 

The  next  morning  the  old  woman  gave  Rose  her 
breakfast,  and  then  told  her  she  must  return  home. 
Rose  started  at  once,  but  as  soon  as  she  was  outside 
the  cabin  she  went  to  the  old  woman's  chicken- 
house,  saying  to  herself,  "  I  must  have  some  of 
those  talking  eggs  before  I  go." 

She  opened  the  door,  and  the  eggs  in  the  nests 
immediately  began  to  speak,  and  some  said,  "  Take 
me  !  "  and  some  said,  "  Do  not  take  me  !  " 

"  Oh,  yes  !  "  exclaimed  Rose,  "  I  understand  your 
tricks,  and  I  shan't  bother  myself  with  you  that 
say  'Take  me!'  It's  the  others  I  want,  and  you 
may  say  *  Don't  take  me ! '  all  you  please,  but  you 
are  the  very  ones  I  shall  carry  away  with  me." 

So  she  took  all  the  eggs  that  told  her  not  to  take 
them,  and  went  off  with  them  in  her  apron.  At 
the  edge  of  the  forest  she  threw  them  behind  her 
back,  and  out  of  them  came  a  lot  of  snakes,  toads, 
and  frogs.  Rose  ran  and  shrieked,  and  the  snakes 


The  snakes  and  toads  and  frogs  followed  her  all  the  way  borne 


THE   TALKING    EGGS  25 

and  toads  and  frogs  followed  after  her  all  the  way 
home.  She  reached  her  mother's  so  tired  she  could 
hardly  speak,  and  had  just  strength  left  to  shut  the 
door  behind  her  and  keep  out  all  the  dreadful 
creatures  that  had  chased  her. 

"  Oh,  mercy  !  "  exclaimed  her  mother,  when  Rose 
told  her  what  had  happened;  "it  is  that  wretch 
Blanche  who  is  the  cause  of  all  this,  and  she  shall 
be  punished  as  she  deserves." 

So  she  called  Blanche,  and  said  to  her,  "  Take 
your  things  and  get  out  of  the  house.  You  shall 
not  live  with  us  any  longer." 

There  was  nothing  for  Blanche  to  do  but  to 
call  for   her   coach,   and    put  into  it  the  fine 
dresses  and    diamonds  and  gold  she  had  got 
from  the  talking   eggs,  and  then  drive  away. 
She  took  a  road  that  passed  through  the  forest, 
and  it  happened  that  the  king's  son  was  hunt- 
ing there,   and    she    met   him   on   his    horse. 
When  he  saw  the  beautiful   girl  weeping  in 
the  carriage,  he  asked  her  why  she  cried. 
"Alas!"   said    she,    "I    have    been 
turned  out  of  the  house  that  has 
been    my   home, 
and  I  know  not 
where  to  go." 


26  THE   TALKING    EGGS 

The  prince  tried  to  console  her,  and  as  they 
talked  he  became  so  charmed  with  her  beauty  and 
innocence  that  he  asked  her  to  be  his  wife.  Then 
they  went  home  together  to  the  king's  palace,  and 
there  they  lived  happily  ever  after. 


THE    TRAVELS    OF    A    FOX 

ONE  day  a  fox  was  digging  behind  a  stump 
and  he  found  a  bumblebee ;  and  the  fox 
put  the  bumblebee  in  a  bag  and  took 
the  bag  over  his  shoulder  and  travelled. 

At  the  first  house  he  came  to  he  went  in  and 
said  to  the  mistress  of  the  house,  "  Can  I  leave 
my  bag  here  while  I  go  to  Squintum's  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  woman. 

"  Then  be  careful  not  to  open  the  bag,"  said  the 
fox. 

But  as  soon  as  he  was  out  of  sight  the  woman 
said  to  herself,  "  Well,  I  wonder  what  the  fellow 
has  in  his  bag  that  he  is  so  careful  about.  I  will 
look  and  see.  It  can't  do  any  harm,  for  I  shall 
tie  the  bag  right  up  again." 

However,  the  moment  she  unloosed  the  string 
out  flew  the  bumblebee,  and  the  rooster  caught 
him  and  ate  him  all  up. 

After  a  while  the  fox  came  back.  He  took  up 
his  bag  and  knew  at  once  that  his  bumblebee  was 


28 


THE    TRAVELS    OF    A    FOX 


gone,  and  he  said  to  the  woman,  "  Where  is  my 
bumblebee?" 

And  the  woman  said,  "  I  untied  the  string  just 
to  take  a  little  peep  to  find  out  what  was  in  your 
bag,  and  the  bumblebee  flew  out  and  the  rooster 
ate  him/' 

"Very  well,"  said  the 
fox;  "  I  must  have  the 
rooster,  then." 

So  he  caught  the  rooster 
and  put  him  in  his  bag  and 
travelled. 

At  the  next  house  he 
came  to  he  went  in  and 
said  to  the  mistress 
of  the   house,  "  Can 
I  leave  my  bag 
here   while   I 
go  to  Squin- 
tum's?" 

"Yes,"  said 
the  woman. 

"Then    be 
careful    not   to 
open  the  bag," 
said  the  fox. 


THE   TRAVELS    OF   A   FOX  29 

But  as  soon  as  he  was  out  of  sight  the  woman 
said  to  herself,  "  Well,  1  wonder  what  the  fellow 
has  in  his  bag  that  he  is  so  careful  about.  I  will 
look  and  see.  It  can't  do  any  harm,  for  I  shall 
tie  the  bag  right  up  again." 

However,  the  moment  she  unloosed  the  string 
the  rooster  flew  out  and  the  pig  caught  him  and 
ate  him  all  up. 

After  a  while  the  fox  came  back.  He  took 
up  his  bag  and  knew  at  once  that  his  rooster 
was  gone,  and  he  said  to  the  woman,  "  Where  is 
my  rooster?  " 

And  the  woman  said,  "  I  untied  the  string  just 
to  take  a  little  peep  to  find  out  what  was  in  your 
bag,  and  the  rooster  flew  out  and  the  pig  ate 
rhim." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  fox,  "  I  must  have  the  pig, 
then." 

So  he  caught  the  pig  and  put  him  in  his  bag 
and  travelled. 

At  the  next  house  he  came  to  he  went  in  and 
said  to  the  mistress  of  the  house,  "  Can  I  leave 
my  bag  here  while  I  go  to  Squintum's?" 

"  Yes,"  said  the  woman. 

"Then  be  careful  not  to  open  the  bag,"  said 
the  fox. 


30  THE   TRAVELS    OF   A   FOX 

But  as  soon  as  he  was  out  of  sight  the  woman 
said  to  herself,  "  Well,  I  wonder  what  the  fellow 
has  in  his  bag  that  he  is  so  careful  about.  I 
will  look  and  see.  It  can't  do  any  harm,  for  I 
shall  tie  the  bag  right  up  again." 

However,  the  moment  she  unloosed  the  string 
the  pig  jumped  out  and  the  ox  gored  him. 

After  a  while  the  fox  came  back.  He  took  up 
his  bag  and  knew  at  once  that  his  pig  was  gone, 
and  he  said  to  the  woman,  "  Where  is  my  pig  ?  " 

And  the  woman  said,  "  I  untied  the  string  just 
to  take  a  little  peep  to  find  out  what  was  in  your 
bag,  and  the  pig  jumped  out  and  the  ox  gored 
him." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  fox,  "  I  must  have  the  ox, 
then." 

So  he  caught  the  ox  and  put  him  in  his  bag 
and  travelled. 

At  the  next  house  he  came  to  he  went  in  and 
said  to  the  mistress  of  the  house,  "  Can  I  leave 
my  bag  here  while  I  go  to  Squintum's  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  woman. 

cc  Then  be  careful  not  to  open  the  bag,"  said  the 
fox. 

But  as  soon  as  he  was  out  of  sight  the  woman 
said  to  herself,  "Well,  I  wonder  what  the  fellow 


THE   TRAVELS    OF   A   FOX  3 1 

has  in  his  bag  that  he  is  so  careful  about.  I  will 
look  and  see.  It  can't  do  any  harm,  for  I  shall 
tie  the  bag  right  up  again." 

However,  the  moment  she  unloosed  the  string 
the  ox  got  out,  and  the  woman's  little  boy  chased 
the  ox  out  of  the  house  and  across  a  meadow  and 
over  a  hill,  clear  out  of  sight. 

After  a  while  the  fox  came  back.  He  took 
up  his  bag  and  knew  at  once  that  his  ox  was 
gone,  and  he  said  to  the  woman,  "  Where  is 
my  ox  ?  " 

And  the  woman  said,  "  I  untied  the  string  just 
to  take  a  little  peep  to  find  out  what  was  in  your 
bag,  and  the  ox  got  out  and  my  little  boy  chased 
him  out  of  the  house  and  across  a  meadow  and 
over  a  hill,  clear  out  of  sight." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  fox,  "  I  must  have  the 
little  boy,  then." 

So  he  caught  the  little  boy  and  put  him  in  his 
bag  and  travelled. 

At  the  next  house  he  came  to  he  went  in  and 
said  to  the  mistress  of  the  house,  "  Can  I  leave 
my  bag  here  while  I  go  to  Squintum's  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  woman. 

"Then  be  careful  not  to  open  the  bag,"  said  the 
fox. 


32  THE    TRAVELS    OF    A    FOX 

The  woman  had  been  making  cake,  and  when 
it  was  baked  she  took  it  from  the  oven,  and  her 
children  gathered  around  her  teasing  for  some 
of  it. 

"  Oh,  ma,  give  me  a  piece ! "  said  one,  and 
"  Oh,  ma,  give  me  a  piece  ! "  said  each  of  the 
others. 

And  the  smell  of  the  cake  came  to  the  little  boy 
in  the  bag,  and  he  heard  the  children  beg  for 
the  cake,  and  he  said,  "  Oh,  mammy,  give  me 
a  piece  ! " 

Then  the  woman  opened  the  bag  and  took  the 
little  boy  out;  and  she  put  the  house-dog  in  the 
bag  in  the  little  boy's  place,  and  the  little  boy 
joined  the  other  children. 

After  a  while  the  fox  came  back.  He  took  up 
his  bag  and  he  saw  that  it  was  tied  fast  and  he 
thought  that  the  little  boy  was  safe  inside.  "  I  have 
been  all  day  on  the  road,"  said  he,  "  without  a 
thing  to  eat,  and  I  am  getting  hungry.  I  will  just 
step  off  into  the  woods  now  and  see  how  this  little 
boy  I  have  in  my  bag  tastes." 

So  he  put  the  bag  on  his  back  and  travelled  deep 
into  the  woods.  Then  he  sat  down  and  untied  the 
bag,  and  if  the  little  boy  had  been  in  there 
things  would  have  gone  badly  with  him. 


THE   TRAVELS   OF   A   FO^  33 

But  the  little  boy  was  at  the  house  of  the 
woman  who  made  the  cake,  andi  when  the  fox 
untied  the  bag  the  house-dog  jurrtped  out  and 
killed  him.  l/-IJr\  \l 


JACK 


AND   THE  BEAN-STALK 


LONG,  long  ago  there  lived  a  poor  widow 
who  had  a  little  boy  named  Jack.  It  was 
not  easy  for  the  woman  to  get  a  living ; 
but  she  owned  a  cow  that  gave  a  great  deal  of 
milk,  and  some  of  the  milk  they  drank  and  some 
she  sold.  So  they  contrived  to  get  along  until  at 
last  the  cow  went  dry. 

"  What  shall  I  do  now  ? "  said  the  woman  sor- 
rowfully, and  she  was  ready  to  weep. 

"  Cheer  up,  mother,"  said  Jack ;  "  I  will  go  and 
get  work." 

"You  are  too  small,"  replied  his  mother.  "No 
one  would  hire  you.  Ah,  well, .  I  must  take  our 
cow  to  market  and  sell  her." 

So  the  woman  tied  a  rope  to  the  cow's  horns 
and  led  her  away ;  but  she  had  not  gone  far 
when  she  met  a  funny-looking  old  man  who 
stopped  and  said,  "  Good-morning,  madam." 

"  Good-morning  to  you,"  was  her  response. 


JACK   AND   THE   BEAN-STALK  35 

"And  where  are  you  off  to  this  morning?" 
asked  the  old  man. 

"  I  am  going  to  market  to  sell  my  cow,"  the 
woman  answered. 

"  If  that  is  the  case,"  said  the  old  man,  "  I  '11 
save  you  the  trouble  of  going  any  farther,  for  I 
will  buy  your  cow  right  here." 

"  And  how  much  will  you  give  me  for  her  ?  " 
inquired  the  woman. 

Then  the  old  man  took  a  little  bag  from  his 
pocket  and  opened  it  for  her  to  look  inside ;  but 
all  she  saw  in  the  bag  was  a  handful  of  beans. 
"  I  will  give  you  these  beans  for  your  cow,"  said 
the  old  man. 

"  I  would  rather  not  make  such  an  exchange 
as  that,"  the  woman  said.  "  Those  beans  would 
not  be  enough  for  one  meal." 

"  Oh,  they  are  not  for  you  to  eat !  "  exclaimed 
the  old  man.  "You  must  plant  them.  They  are 
magic  beans  that  will  bring  you  good  luck,  and 
they  are  worth  much  more  than  your  cow." 

The  woman  looked  again,  and  she  saw  that 
the  beans  were  very  curious  and  of  many  pretty 
colors;  and  at  last  she  said  she  would  take  them 
and  let  the  old  man  have  the  cow.  But  on  her 
way  home,  the  more  she  thought  about  what  she 


36  JACK   AND   THE   BEAN-STALK 

had  done  the  more  foolish  she  thought  she  had 
been,  and  when  she  reached  the  house  she  poured 
the  beans  out  into  her  hand  to  look  at  them,  and 
then  threw  them  into  the  fireplace. 

"  I  can't  bear  the  sight  of  them,"  said  she,  "  and 
now  we  shall  soon  starve,  I  suppose/' 

She  thought  that  was  the  last  of  the  beans, 
but  one  of  them  had  rolled  out  across  the  floor, 
and  the  next  day  as  she  was  sweeping  she  swept 
up  the  little  bean.  She  did  not  notice  it,  and  she 
swept  it  along  and  along  and  might  have  swept 
it  into  the  fireplace;  but  her  little  boy  Jack  saw 
it  and  he  picked  it  up  and  said,  "  I  'm  going  to 
plant  this  bean,  mother." 

So  he  took  it  out  to  the  garden  and  dug  a 
hole  and  planted  it.  After  that  he  was  all  the 
time  running  out  to  see  if  his  bean  had  come 
up,  and  when  it  did  come  up  he  was  all  the 
time  running  out  to  see  how  it  was  growing. 

On  the  first  morning  after  he  planted  it  he 
found  its  first  leaves  had  already  pushed  their  way  up 
out  of  the  ground.  The  next  morning  it  was  as 
tall  as  he  was ;  and  the  next  day  after  that  it  was 
as  high  as  the  house,  and  the  next  day  after  that 
it  was  as  high  as  the  church  steeple.  So  it  kept 
growing  until  its  top  was  clear  out  of  sight. 


JACK    AND   THE   BEAN-STALK  37 

Then  Jack  said,  "  I  'm  going  to  climb  this 
bean-stalk,"  and  he  climbed  and  climbed  and 
climbed,  and  at  last  he  reached  the  sky. 

There  he  found  "a  strange  country  without  a 
tree,  shrub,  house,  or  living  creature  anywhere  in 
sight.  He  sat  down  on  a  stone  to  rest  and  said, 
"  Humph  !  if  this  is  all  there  is  up  here  I  may 
as  well  go  back  home." 

But  while  he  was  resting  he  noticed  that  a 
rough  path  led  away  from  near  where  he  sat  over 
a  hill,  and  then  he  saw  a  beautiful  lady  walking 
along  the  path  toward  him.  She  spoke  to  Jack 
as  soon  as  she  came  to  him,  and  he  rose  and 
took  off  his  hat.  "I  am  a  fairy,"  said  she,  "  and 
the  country  where  you  now  are  is  on  the  borders 
of  Fairy-land.  I  have  come  to  tell  you  something 
about  your  father.  Do  you  remember  him  ? " 

"  No,"  replied  Jack,  "  and  when  I  ask  my 
mother  about  him  she  always  begins  to  cry  and 
will  say  nothing." 

"I  thought  as  much,"  said  the  fairy,  "and  you 
will  understand  why  your  mother  never  speaks  of 
him  when  you  hear  my  story.  He  was  a  brave 
and  generous  knight,  and  the  fairies  were  his 
friends  and  made  him  many  wonderful  presents. 
But  after  a  time  a  wicked  giant  came  to  your 


38  JACK   AND   THE   BEAN-STALK 

father's  castle  and  killed  him,  and  carried  off  all 
the  wonderful  things  the  fairies  had  given  him. 
At  the  same  time  the  giant  carried  off  your 
mother  and  you,  who  were  then  a  little  baby.  He 
shut  you  both  up  in  one  of  his  dungeons,  but  at 
last  he  offered  to  restore  your  mother  and  you  to 
liberty  on  condition  that  she  should  never  speak  about 
her  wrongs  to  any  one.  She  agreed,  and  he  carried 
her  to  a  place  a  great  distance  from  where  she  had 
liv.ed  and  been  known  before,  and  left  her  there 
>#ith  just  money  enough  to  rent  a  little  cottage 
and  buy  a  cow. 

"  That  giant  lives  in  this  country,  and  if  you 
follow  the  path  by  which  you  saw  me  come  you 
will  find  his  castle  over  yonder  hill.  All  that  he 
has  is  rightfully  yours,  and  perhaps  you  can  con- 
trive some  way  to  regain  possession  of  what  he 
stole  from  your  father."  ^ 

Then  the  fairy  went  on  her  way,  and  Jack,  after 
thinking  things  over,  concluded  he  would  go  on 
by  the  path  that  led  toward  the  hill.  Beyond  the 
hill  in  a  valley  he  came  to  a  great  castle,  and  on 
the  doorstep  sat  a  giant  woman.  It  was  almost 
night,  and  Jack  went  up  to  the  giantess  and  said 
very  politely,  "  Good-evening,  ma'am.  Would  you 
be  so  kind  as  to  give  me  some  supper  ? " 


JACK   AND   THE   BEAN-STALK 


39 


"  Is  it  supper  you  want  ?  "  said  the  big  woman. 
"  It 's  supper  you  '11  be  if  you  don't  move  away 
from  here.  My  man  is  a  giant,  and  he  likes  to 
eat  little  boys." 


"  But  I  am  very  hungry,"  said  Jack,  "  and 
I  've  had  no  food  at  all  this  day  since  early 
morning." 

"Well,  well,"  said  the  giantess,  "I  don't  wonder 
you  are  hungry,  then.  Come  along  to  the  kitchen 
and  I'll  see  what  I  can  find  for  you." 


40  JACK   AND   THE    BEAN-STALK 

So  the  giant's  wife  took  Jack  into  the  kitchen 
and  gave  him  a  piece  of  cheese  and  a  bowl  of 
bread  and  milk.  He  had  not  quite  finished  eat- 
ing when,  tramp !  tramp !  tramp !  he  heard  the 
steps  of  some  one  coming,  and  the  whole  castle 
trembled  with  the  heavy  footfalls. 

"  Gracious  me  ! "  exclaimed  the  giant's  wife, 
"  that 's  my  man.  Be  quick  now  and  jump  into 
the  oven  or  he'll  catch  you ;"  and  she  bundled 
Jack  into  the  oven  just  as  the  giant  came  in. 

The  giant  looked  around  the  room  and  sniffed 
the  air.  "  Fe-fi-fo-fum,  I  smell  fresh  meat !  " 
said  he. 

"  Yes,"  his  wife  responded,  "  the  crows  brought 
a  piece  of  raw  flesh  to-day  to  the  top  of  the  house 
and  dropped  it  on  the  roof." 

"  Ha  !  "  said  the  giant,  "  I  thought  it  was  some- 
thing nearer  and  fresher  than  that ; "  but  he  sat 
down  at  the  table  and  Jack  watched  him  through 
a  crevice  of  the  oven  door,  and  was  amazed  to 
see  the  quantity  of  food  that  he  ate. 

After  supper  was  done  the  giant's  wife  cleared 
away  the  dishes  and  went  off  to  bed.  "  I  am 
getting  a  bit  sleepy  myself,"  said  the  giant ;  "  but 
I  must  have  a  look  at  my  money,"  and  he  went 
to  a  big  chest  and  took  out  several  bags  full  of 


JACK    AND   THE    BEAN-STALK  41 

gold  coins  and  returned  to  the  table.  He  sat 
down  and  began  to  empty  the  bags  one  by  one 
and  was  counting  his  wealth  when  he  nodded  off 
into  a  nap,  and  was  soon  snoring  with  a  noise  like 
thunder. 

Jack  then  climbed  out  of  the  oven,  and  by 
getting  on  a  chair  beside  the  table  he  reached 
one  of  the  bags  of  gold,  and  off  he  ran  with  it. 
As  soon  as  he  came  to  the  bean-stalk  he  called 
out,  "  Hump  it  and  bump  it  and  down  I  go,"  and  in 
a  little  while  he  was  at  the  foot  of  the  bean-stalk 
in  his  mother's  garden. 

Then  he  hurried  to  the  house.  There  was  a 
light  in  the  window,  and  his  mother  was  waiting 
for  him  in  great  anxiety,  and  was  overjoyed  to 
have  him  safely  back. 

They  had  money  enough  now,  but  Jack  could 
not  help  thinking  how  many  things  the  giant  had 
which  were  rightfully  theirs,  and  it  was  not  long 
before  he  again  climbed  the  bean-stalk.  This  time 
he  carried  some  food,  so  that  he  did  not  have  to  beg 
of  the  giant's  wife,  and  when  he  came  to  the 
great  castle  he  got  behind  a  rock  and  watched 
until  he  saw  the  giantess  come  out  to  the  well 
with  a  pail  after  water.  While  she  was  busy  at  the 
well  he  ran  into  the  kitchen  and  hid  in  a  closet. 


42  JACK   AND   THE   BEAN-STALK 

In  a  little  while  the  woman  brought  in  the  pail 
of  water,  and  by  and  by,  tramp  !  tramp  !  came  the 
giant.  He  began  to  sniff  as  soon  as  he  entered 
the  kitchen.  "Fe-fi-fo-fum  !  I  smell  fresh  meat!" 
he  said. 

u  Do  you  ?  "  said  his  wife.  "  Supposing  we 
look  around,  then.  If  there  's  anybody  hiding  here 
it 's  likely  to  be  in  the  oven." 

So  they  both  went  to  the  oven,  but  luckily 
Jack  was  not  there.  "  Well,"  said  the  giant's 
wife,  "  it 's  empty,  and  I  thought  it  would  be,  and 
I  'm  tired  of  hearing  your  fe-fi-fo-fum  ! " 

The  giant  wanted  to  look  farther,  but  his  wife 
said,  "  No,  I  won't  have  you  mussing  up  the 
house.  I  know  just  how  you  would  do  it.  You 
would  turn  everything  that  you  could  lay  your 
hands  on  topsy-turvy.  Besides,  your  supper  is 
ready." 

So  the  giant  sat  down  and  had  his  supper. 
After  he  had  eaten,  he  said,  "Wife,  bring  me  the 
hen  that  lays  the  golden  eggs." 

She  brought  the  hen  and  put  it  on  the  table. 
"  If  you  don't  need  me  any  more,  my  dearie," 
said  she,  "  I  will  go  to  the  next  room  to  finish 
some  sewing  I  have  there." 

"  No,  I  don't  need  you,"  replied  the  giant,  "  go 


JACK   AND    THE    BEAN-STALK  43 

along."  Then  he  took  the  little  hen,  and  said, 
"  Lay  ; "  and  the  hen  laid  an  egg  of  solid  gold. 

The  giant  took  the  egg  in  his  hand,  and  looked 
at  it  for  a  while ;  but  pretty  soon  he  fell  asleep 
and  snored  so  that  the  house  shook.  Then  Jack 
crept  out  of  the  closet  and  climbed  on  a  chair 
by  the  table  and  grabbed  the  little  hen  and  ran. 
That  frightened  the  hen,  and  it  gave  a  cackle 
which  woke  the  giant.  He  sat  up  and  rubbed 
his  eyes,  and  Jack,  who  was  now  out  of  the  door, 
heard  him  calling,  "  Wife,  wife,  what  have  you 
done  with  my  golden  hen  ?  " 

Jack  heard  her  come  hurrying  to  the  kitchen 
from  the  next  room  and  asking,  "  Why,  my 
dear?"  - 

But  Jack  kept  running,  and  he  got  too  far  away 
to  hear  any  more.  In  a  short  time  he  came 
to  the  bean-stalk,  and  shouted,  "  Hump  it  and 
bump  it  and  down  I  go  !  "  and  soon  he  was  at 
the  foot  of  the  bean-stalk  and  went  into  the  house 
to  his  mother. 

They  took  the  best  of  care  of  the  hen,  and 
every  day  Jack  told  it  to  lay,  and  it  laid  a  golden 
egg.  But  after  a  time  Jack  went  up  the  bean-stalk 
again,  and  he  kept  going  up  every  few  days,  until 
he  had  carried  off  pretty  much  all  that  the  giant 


44  JACK   AND   THE   BEAN-STALK 

had.  Finally,  one  night  he  tried  to  get  the  giant's 
bed-quilt.  The  quilt  was  made  of  silk  of  many 
colors,  and  it  had  beautiful  jewels  on  it,  and  all 
along  the  edge  were  little  silver  bells  that .  went 
tinkle,  tinkle  when  Jack  began  to  pull  it. 

The  giant  heard  the  bells  and  called  out, "  Who  's 
round  my  house  this  dark,  dismal  night?" 

Jack  kept  perfectly  still  until  the  giant  was 
snoring,  and  then  he  pulled  the  quilt  off  a  little 
farther.  The  bells  went  tinkle,  tinkle,  and  the 
giant  woke  up  and  called  out,  "  Who's  round 
my  house  this  dark,  dismal  night?' 

So  Jack  stopped  pulling  and  stayed  as  quiet  as 
a  mouse;  but  every  time  the  giant  fell  asleep 
Jack  g£t  the  bed-quilt  a  little  farther  off,  till  at 
last  he  had  it  all,  and  ran  away  with  it.  How- 
ever, the  bells  made  such  a  jingling  as  Jack  ran 
that  the  giant  was  roused  from  his  sleep  and 
jumped  up  and  started  after  hk..  Jack  ran  very 
swiftly,  and  got  to  the  bean-stalk  first.  cc  Hump 
it  and  bump  it  and  down  I  go,"  he  shouted,  and 
it  did  not  take  him  lonp  to  get  to  his  mother's 
garden. 

But  the  giant  was  climbing  down  the  bean-stalk 
after  him,  and  the  bean-stalk  was  shak.ing  beneath 
the  monster's  weight.  Jack  could  hea>-  the  giant 


JACK   AND   THE    BEAN-STALK 

coming,   and  when   he  looked 
"p  he  saw  the  giant's  legs  just 
appearing  through  the  clouds. 
Then  Jack   hurried  to  the 
woodshed    and  got    a    hatchet 
and  began  to  chop  at  the  bean- 
stalk.    The  giant  felt  the  bean- 
stalk  quiver,   and  stopped    to 
iook  down  to  find  out 
vhat  was  the   matter. 
Just  at  that  moment 
jack    gave    a    blow 
with  his   hatchet  that 
brought  bean-stalk, 
giant,  and   all    tum- 
bling to  the  earth,  and 
that  was    the   end   of 
the  wicked  giant. 

As  for  Jack  a  .d 
his  mother,  they  were 
rich  people  after  that. 


45 


THE  TWO   BROTHERS  AND 
THE  OLD  WITCH 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  were  two  boys  who 
were  brothers,  and  they  were  very  poor. 
At  last  the  older  boy  said,  "  I  will  go  out 
into  the  world  and  try  to  make  my  fortune." 

So  he  left  his  home,  and  he  travelled  about  the 
world  looking  for  work  a  long  time.  Finally,  he 
reached  a  house  in  which  an  old  witch  woman  lived, 
and  she  said  she  would  give  him  work  and  pay  him 
well. 

"  What  shall  I  have  to  do  ?  "  the  boy  asked. 

"You  must  take  care  of  my  garden,"  said  she, 
"  and  mow  my  meadow,  and  cut  my  wood,  and  once 
a  week  you  must  clean  my  fireplace;  but  I  warn 
you  never  to  look  up  the  chimney." 

The  boy  agreed  to  this  bargain,  and  for  many 
months  he  cared  for  the  old  woman's  garden,  and 
mowed  her  meadow,  and  cut  her  wood,  and  cleaned 
her  fireplace.  He  liked  his  situation  well  enough, 
except  that  the  old  woman  did  not  pay  him  his 


THE  TWO  BROTHERS  AND  THE  OLD  WITCH     47 

wages.  Whenever  he  asked  her  for  money  she  said, 
"  If  you  had  it  you  would  spend  it.  No,  no,  I  am 
Ir.ying  up  what  is  due  you  in  a  stout  leather  bag 


safely  stowed  away,  and  when  you  get  to  be  as  old 
as  I  am  you  can  have  it." 

This  did  not  suit  the  boy,  but  he  kept  on  with 
his  work  until  one  day,  as  he  was  cleaning  the  fire- 
place, he  heard  a  noise  in  the  chimney,  and  he 
looked  up.  Immediately  something  heavy  fell 


48      THE  TWO  BROTHERS  AND  THE  OLD  WITCH 

whack  on  his  head,  bringing  with  it  a  lot  of  soot 
that  half  blinded  him.  As  soon  as  he  could  ge> 
the  soot  out  of  his  eyes  he  saw  on  the  hearth  a 
slender  leather  bag,  and  when  he  picked  it  up  he 
found  it  was  full  of  money.  "  This  must  be  m) 
wages,"  said  he,  and  he  walked  out  of  the  door, 
carrying  the  bag,  and  started  off  along  the  road 
toward  home. 

By  and  by  he  came  to  a  meeting-house,  and  the 
meeting-house  said,  "  Wait,  wait,  my  lad,  and  sweep 
me !  I  have  not  been  swept  for  seven  long  years." 

But  the  boy  said, 

"I  'm  in  a  hurry  and  cannot  stay  ; 
Perhaps  I  '11  stop  some  other  day." 

He  hastened  on,  and  by  and  by  he  came  to  a 
weedy  field,  and  the  field  said,  "  Wait,  wait,  my  lad, 
and  weed  me.  I  have  not  been  weeded  for  seven 
long  years." 

But  the  boy  said, 

«« I  *m  in  a  hurry  and  cannot  stay  ; 
Perhaps  I  'll  stop  some  other  day." 

He  hastened  on,  and  by  and.  by  he  came  to  a 
cow,  and  the  cow  said,  "  Wait,  wait,  my  lad,  and 
milk  me.  I  have  not  been  milked  for  seven  long 
years." 


THE  TWO  BROTHERS  AND  THE  OLD  WITCH     49 
But  the  boy  said, 

"  I  'm  in  a  hurry  and  cannot  stay ; 
Perhaps  I  '11  stop  some  other  day." 

He  hastened  on,  and  by  and  by  he  came  to  a  well, 
1  the  well  said,  "  Wait,  wait,  my  lad,  and  clean 
me.     I  have  not  been  cleaned  for  seven  long  years." 
But  the  boy  said, 

"  I  Jm  in  a  hurry  and  cannot  stay  ; 
Perhaps  I  '11  stop  some  other  day." 

He  hastened  on,  and  by  and  by  he  came  to  an 
apple-tree  so  loaded  with  fruit  that  its  branches 
w.ere  breaking  down,  and  the  tree  said,  "  Wait, 
wait,  my  lad,  and  shake  me.  The  apples  you  see 
on  me  have  been  growing  for  seven  long  years,  and 
no  one  has  come  to  shake  them  off  or  pick  them." 

But  the  boy  said, 

"  I  'm  in  a  hurry  and  cannot  stay  ; 
Perhaps  I  Jll  stop  some  other  day." 

However,  instead  of  keeping  on  he  sat  down 
under  the  tree,  and  began  to  count  his  money. 

Some  time  after  he  left  the  house  where  he  had 
been  working  the  old  witch  woman  came  in  and 
saw  the  soot  scattered  about  the  fireplace.  She 
looked  up  the  chimney  and  discovered  that  her 
bag  of  money  was  gone.  "  That  boy  has  taken  it," 
she  cried,  "  and  I  must  catch  him." 


50      THE  TWO  BROTHERS  AND  THE  OLD  WITCH 

So  she  started  in  pursuit,  and  by  and  by  she 
came  to  the  meeting-house  and  said, 

"  Meeting-house,  meeting-house, 
Have  you  seen  a  boy 
With  a  willy-willy  wag 
And  a  long  leather  bag, 
Who's  stolen  all  the  money 
That  ever  I  had?" 

"  Yes/'  replied  the  meeting-house,  "  he  has  gone 
on  down  the  road." 

So  the  witch  went  along  until  she  came  to  a 
weedy  field.  Then  she  said, 

'  Field  of  mine,  field  of  mine, 
Have  you  seen  a  boy 
With  a  willy-willy  wag 
And  a  long  leather  bag, 
Who  's  stolen  all  the  money 
That  ever  I  had?" 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  field,  "  he  has  gone  on  down 
the  road." 

So  the  witch  went  along  until  she  came  to  a  cow. 
Then  she  said, 

"  Cow  of  mine,  cow  of  mine, 
Have  you  seen  a  boy 
With  a  willy-willy  wag 
And  a  long  leather  bag, 
Who  's  stolen  all  the  money 
That  ever  I  had  ?" 


THE  TWO  BROTHERS  AND  THE  OLD  WITCH      51 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  cow,  "  he  has  gone  on  down 
the  road." 

So  the  witch  went  along  until  she  came  to  a  well. 
Then  she  said, 

"Well  of  mine,  well  of  mine, 
Have  you  seen  a  boy 
With  a  willy-willy  wag 
And  a  long  leather  bag, 
Who  's  stolen  all  the  money 
That  ever  I  had  ?  " 

"Yes,"  replied  the  well,  "he  has  gone  on  down 
the  road." 

So  the  witch  went  along  until  she  approached  the 
apple-tree,  under  which  the  boy  was  sitting  count- 
ing his  money.  But  he  saw  her  coming,  and  he 
climbed  the  tree  to  hide  among  the  branches.  As 
soon  as  the  witch  was  near  enough  she  said, 

"Tree  of  mine,  tree  of  mine, 
Have  you  seen  a  boy 
With  a  willy-willy  wag 
And  a  long  leather  bag, 
Who  's  stolen  all  the  money 
That  ever  I  had?'* 

"Yes,"  was  the  tree's  reponse,  "he's  up  here 
among  my  branches." 

Then  the  old  woman  pulled  the  boy  out  of  the 
tree  and  gave  him  a  sound  beating,  and  he  went 


52      THE  TWO  BROTHERS  AND  THE  OLD  WITCH 

away  crying ;  while  she  took  the  bag  of  money  and 
returned  home. 

A  year  or  two  after  the  first  brother  left  to  seek 
his  fortune  the  other  brother  also  started  out  into 
the  world.  He  travelled  about  here  and  there  and 
everywhere,  looking  for  work  and  finding  none. 
But,  finally,  he  reached  the  house  of  the  old  witch 
woman,  and  she  said  she  would  give  him  work  and 
pay  him  well. 

"  What  shall  I  have  to  do  ?  "  the  boy  asked. 

"You  must  take  care  of  my  garden,"  said  she, 
"and  mow  my  meadow,  and  cut  my  wood,  and 
once  a  week  you  must  clean  my  fireplace;  but  I 
warn  you  never  to  look  up  the  chimney." 

The  boy  agreed  to  this  bargain,  and  for  many 
months  he  cared  for  the  old  woman's  garden,  and 
mowed  her  meadow,  and  cut  her  wood,  and  cleaned 
her  fireplace.  He  liked  his  situation  well  enough, 
except  that  the  old  woman  did  not  pay  him  his 
wages.  Whenever  he  asked  her  for  money  she 
said,  "  If  you  had  it  you  would  spend  it.  No,  no, 
I  am  laying  up  what  is  due  you  in  a  stout  leather 
bag  stowed  safely  away,  and  when  you  get  to  be  as 
old  as  I  am  you  can  have  it." 

This  did  not  suit  the  boy,  but  he  kept  on  with 
his  work  until  one  day,  as  he  was  cleaning  the  fire- 


THE  TWO  BROTHERS  AND  THE  OLD  WITCH      53 

place,  he  heard  a  noise  in  the  chimney  and  he 
looked  up.  Immediately  something  heavy  fell 
whack  on  his  head,  bringing  with  it  a  lot  of  soot 
that  half  blinded  him.  As  soon  as  he  could  get 
the  soot  out  of  his  eyes  he  saw  on  the  hearth  a 
slender  leather  bag,  and  when  he  picked  it  up  he 
found  it  was  full  of  money.  "  This  must  be  my 
wages/'  said  he,  and  he  walked  out  of  the  door, 
carrying  the  bag,  and  started  off  along  the  road 
toward  home. 

By  and  by  he  came  to  a  meeting-house,  and 
the  meeting-house  said,  "  Wait,  wait,  my  lad,  and 
sweep  me !  I  have  not  been  swept  for  seven  long 
years !" 

It  was  a  large  meeting-house,  and  he  knew  the 
sweeping  would  be  a  hard  task.  However,  he 
stopped  and  swept  the  building  very  thoroughly. 

Then  he  went  on,  and  by  and  by  he  came  to  a 
weedy  field,  and  the  field  said,  "  Wait,  wait,  my 
lad,  and  weed  me !  I  have  not  been  weeded  for 
seven  long  years." 

i  It  was  a  large  field,  and  he  knew  the  work  would 
be  far  from  easy.  However,  he  stopped  and  weeded 
the  whole  field. 

Then  he  went  on,  and  by  and  by  he  came  to  a 
cow,  and  the  cow  said,  "Wait,  wait,  my  lad,  and 


54      THE  TWO  BROTHERS  AND  THE  OLD  WITCH 

milk  me  !  I  have  not  been  milked  for  seven  long 
years." 

The  boy  was  in  a  hurry,  but  he  stopped  and 
milked  the  cow. 

Then  he  went  on,  and  by  and  by  he  came  to  a 
well,  and  the  well  said,  "  Wait,  wait,  my  lad,  and 
clean  me !  I  have  not  been  cleaned  for  seven  long 
years." 

The  boy  was  in  a  hurry,  but  he  stopped  and 
cleaned  the  well. 

Then  he  went  on,  and  by  and  by  he  came  to  an 
apple-tree  so  loaded  with  fruit  that  its  branches 
were  breaking  down,  and  the  tree  said,  "  Wait, 
wait,  my  lad,  and  shake  me  !  The  apples  you  see 
on  me  have  been  growing  for  seven  long  years, 
and  no  one  has  come  to  shake  them  off  or  pick 
them." 

The  boy  was  sorry  for  the  tree,  and  he  shook 
off  enough  of  the  apples,  so  that  the  branches 
were  no  longer  in  danger  of  breaking.  "  Thank 
you,"  said  the  tree ;  "  now  I  can  move  my  branches 
and  shake  off  the  rest  myself  when  I  choose." 

The  boy  then  sat  down  under  the  tree  to  count 
his  money. 

Some  time  after  he  left  the  house  where  he  had 
been  working  the  old  witch  woman  came  in  and 


THE  TWO  BROTHERS  AND  THE  OLD  WITCH      55 

saw  the  soot  scattered  about  the  fireplace.  She 
looked  up  the  chimney  and  discovered  that  her 
bag  of  money  was  gone.  "  That  boy  has  taken 
it,"  she  cried,  "  and  I  must  catch  him." 

So  she  started  in  pursuit,  and  by  and  by  she 
came  to  a  meeting-house  and  said, 

"  Meeting-house,  meeting-house, 
Have  you  seen  a  boy 
With  a  willy-willy  wag 
And  a  long  leather  bag, 
Who's  stolen  all  the  money 
That  ever  I  had  ?  " 

But  the  meeting-house  would  not  reply,  and  it 
loosened  some  of  its  shingles,  and  let  them  slide 
down  onto  the  old  woman,  and  she  was  glad  to  get 
away. 

Then  she  went  along  until  she  came  to  what  had 
been  the  weedy  field,  and  she  said, 

"  Field  of  mine,  field  of  mine, 
Have  you  seen  a  boy 
With  a  willy-willy  wag 
And  a  long  leather  bag, 
Who's  stolen  all  the  money 
That  ever  I  had?" 

But  the  field  would  not  reply,  and  it  raised  a 
great  cloud  of  dust  and  let  it  blow  around  the 
old  witch,  so  that  she  was  glad  to  get  away. 


56      THE  TWO  BROTHERS  AND  THE  OLD  WITCH 

Then  she  went  along  until  she  came  to  a  cow, 
and  she  said, 

"  Cow  of  mine,  cow  of  mine, 
Have  you  seen  a  boy 
With  a  willy-willy  wag 
And  a  long  leather  bag, 
Who  's  stolen  all  the  money 
That  ever  I  had?" 

But  the  cow  would  not  reply,  and  it  shook  its 
horns  at  the  old  woman  and  frightened  her,  so  that 
she  was  glad  to  get  away. 

Then  she  went  along  until  she  came  to  a  well, 
and  she  said, 

"Well  of  mine,  well  of  mine, 
Have  you  seen  a  boy 
With  a  willy-willy  wag 
And  a  long  leather  bag, 
Who '  s  stolen  all  the  money 
That  ever  I  had?" 

But  the  well  would  not  reply,  and  it  caused  its 
water  to  rise  and  overflow,  so  that  the  old  witch 
would  have  been  drowned  if  she  had  not  hastened 
to  get  away. 

Then  she  went  along  until  she  approached  the 
apple-tree,  under  which  the  boy  was  sitting  count- 
ing his  money.  But  he  saw  her  coming,  and  he 

"Apple-tree,  apple-tree,  hide  me, 
So  the  old  witch  can't  find  me !  " 


THE  TWO  BROTHERS  AND  THE  OLD  WITCH      57 


"  Climb  up  among  my  branches  and  I  will  hide 


you, 


said  the  tree. 


The  boy  climbed  up,  and  the  tree  hid  him  with 
its  leaves.     Pretty  soon  the  old  woman  came  and  said, 


58      THE  TWO  BROTHERS  AND  THE  OLD  WITCH 

"  Tree  of  mine,  tree  of  mine, 
Have  you  seen  a  boy 
With  a  willy-willy  wag 
And  a  long  leather  bag, 
Who  's  stolen  all  the  money 
That  ever  I  had  ?  " 

But  the  tree  would  not  reply,  and  it  shook  its 
apples  down  on  the  old  witch  till  she  was  glad  to 
get  away.  She  never  found  the  boy,  and  he  went 
home  with  the  leather  bag  full  of  money,  and  after 
that  he  always  prospered. 


THE    OLD    WOMAN    AND 
HER    PIG 

ONCE  an  old  woman  was  sweeping  her 
house  and  she  found  a  piece  of  money, 
and  she  took  the  money  to  market  and 
bought  a  pig.  Then  she  told  the  pig  to  run 
home,  and  the  pig  said,  "  I  won't ! " 

So  the  old  woman  looked  around  and  she  saw 
a  dog,  and  she  said,  "  Dog,  dog,  bite  pig  and  make 
piggy  run  home.  I  see  by  the  moonlight  'tis 
half-past  midnight  —  time  pig  and  I  were  at 
home  an  hour  ago." 

But  the  dog  said,  "  No,  pig  does  n't  do  me 
any  harm  ; "  and  he  would  n't. 

So  the  old  woman  looked  around  and  she  saw  a 
stick,  and  she  said,  "  Stick,  stick,  bang  dog,  dog  won't 
bite  pig,  and  piggy  won't  run  home.  I  see  by 
the  moonlight  'tis  half-past  midnight  —  time  pig 
and  I  were  at  home  an  hour  ago." 

But  the  stick  said,  "  No,  dog  does  n't  do  me 
any  harm  ;  "  and  it  would  n't. 


60  THE   OLD   WOMAN   AND   HER   PIG 

So  the  old  woman  looked  around  and  she  saw  a 
fire,  and  she  said, "  Fire,  fire,  burn  stick,  stick  won't 
bang  dog,  dog  won't  bite  pig,  and  piggy  won't 
run  home.  I  see  by  the  moonlight  'tis  half-past 
midnight — time  pig  and  I  were  at  home  an 
hour  ago." 

But  the  fire  said,  "  No,  stick  does  n't  do  me 
any  harm  ; "  and  it  would  n't. 

So  the  old  woman  looked  around  and  she  saw 
a  puddle  of  water,  and  she  said,  "  Water,  water, 
quench  fire,  fire  won't  burn  stick,  stick  won't  bang 
dog,  dog  won't  bite  pig,  and  piggy  won't  run 
home.  I  see  by  the  moonlight  't  is  half-past  mid- 
night —  time  pig  and  I  were  at  home  an  hour 
ago." 

But  the  water  said,  "No,  fire  doesn't  do  me 
any  harm  ; "  and  it  would  n't. 

So  the  old  woman  looked  around  and  she  saw 
an  ox,  and  she  said,  "  Ox,  ox,  drink  water,  water 
won't  quench  fire,  fire  won't  burn  stick,  stick  won't 
bang  dog,  dog  won't  bite  pig,  and  piggy  won't 
run  home.  I  see  by  the  moonlight  'tis  half- 
past  midnight  —  time  pig  and  I  were  at  home  an 
hour  ago." 

But  the  ox  said,  "  No,  water  does  n't  do  me 
any  harm ;  "  and  it  would  n't. 


LADY    FEATHERFLIGHT 

ONCE  there  was  a  poor  woman  who  had  a 
son  named  Jack,  and  they  lived  on  the 
edge  of  a  wood.  Times  were  hard,  and 
they  did  not  always  have  enough  to  eat,  and  at 
last  the  woman  said  to  her  son,  "  Jack,  you  must 
now  go  out  into  the  wide  world  ;  for  if  you  stay 
here  we  shall  both  starve.  We  have  only  half  a 
loaf  of  bread  left,  but  you  shall  take  that  with 
you,  and  I  wish  it  were  larger.  The  world  lies 
on  the  other  side  of  the  forest.  Find  your  way 
to  it  and  gain  your  living  honestly." 

So  she  bade  Jack  good-by,  and  he  started.  On 
he  went,  farther  and  farther  into  the  forest,  and  he 
walked  all  day  and  saw  no  farm  or  dwelling  or 
path.  Then  he  knew  that  he  was  lost,  but  he 
kept  on  as  long  as  daylight  lasted,  and  when 
it  became  dark  he  lay  down  and  slept.  During 
the  day  he  had  eaten  nearly  all  of  his  bread,  and 
the  next  morning  he  ate  what  was  left  and  wan- 
dered on  again  through  the  trackless  woods  until 


64  LADY   FEATHERFLIGHT 

evening.  Night  came,  and  he  was  looking  for  a 
spot  where  he  could  lie  down  and  sleep  when  he 
saw  lights  before  him.  So  he  went  toward  the 
lights  and  presently  came  to  a  large  palace.  He 
knocked  at  the  entrance  and  a  beautiful  young 
woman  opened  the  door. 

"  My  good  lady,"  said  Jack,  "  I  have  been  lost 
for  two  days  in  this  great  forest,  and  I  beg  that 
you  will  give  me  something  to  eat." 

"No,  no/'  said  she,  "go  away  as  quickly  as 
you  can.  The  owner  of  this  palace  is  a  giant. 
He  will  soon  come  home  and  he  will  surely 
eat  you." 

"  Can't  you  hide  me  ?  "  asked  Jack.  "  Unless 
I  have  food  and  shelter  I  shall  die." 

"  I  cpuld  not  hide  you  so  but  that  he  would  find 
you,"  said  she.  "  Oh,  do  go  away  at  once  !  " 

"  Perhaps  he  would  not  eat  me,"  argued  Jack. 
"He  has  not  eaten  you." 

"  That  is  because  he  wants  me  to  take  care  of 
his  house  and  cook  his  food,"  said  she;  "but  I 
do  not  know  how  soon  he  will  change  his  mind. 
Please,  sir,  hurry  away,  or  it  will  be  too  late." 

However,  Jack  insisted  that  rather  than  starve 
in  the  forest  he  would  risk  death  at  the  hands 
of  the  giant.  So  finally  she  yielded  and  allowed 


LADY   FEATHERFLIGHT  65 

him  to  enter,  and  when  she  had  given  him  some- 
thing to  eat  hid  him  in  a  cupboard  beside  the 
fireplace. 

After  a  while  the  giant  came  banging  at  the  door, 
shouting,  C£  Featherflight,  let  me  in,  let  me  in!  " 

She  unlocked  the  door,  and  as  he  came  tramp- 
ing into  the  room  he  said,  "  Where  's  that  man  ?  I 
began  to  smell  him  ten  miles  away  as  I  was  com- 
ing through  the  woods." 

"  Don't  you  think  you  were  mistaken  ?  "  asked 
Featherflight. 

But  the  giant  did  not  reply.  He  sniffed  the  air 
for  a  moment  and  then  went  to  the  cupboard 
beside  the  fireplace  and  pulled  Jack  out. 

"  Did  you  mean  him  ?  "  said  Featherflight. 
"  Why,  that  is  nothing  but  a  poor,  thin,  little 
fellow  who  would  scarcely  make  you  half  a  mouth- 
ful, and  his  bones  would  stick  in  your  throat. 
Would  n't  it  be  better  to  keep  him  and  make  him 
work  for  you  ?  But  your  supper  is  ready  now,  and 
you  can  think  about  what  to  do  with  him  afterward." 

So  she  set  before  the  giant  a  vast  quantity  of 
meat  and  drink,  and  he  ate  so  much  and  gobbled 
it  down  so  fast  that  the  sight  made  Jack's  hair 
stand  on  end  as  he  stood  watching  him.  When 
the  giant  had  finished,  he  looked  at  Jack  scorn- 


66 


LADY   FEATHERFLIGHT 


fully  and  remarked,    "  Ah,  it    is    as    Featherflight 
said  —  you  are  only  half  a  mouthful ;  but  there  is 


room  for  flesh  on  your  bones,  and  we  shall  have 
to  fatten  you.  Meanwhile,  you  must  earn  your 
victuals.  See  here,  my  young  snip,  can  you  do 
a  day's  work  in  a  day  ? " 


LADY   FEATHERFLIGHT  67 

"  Yes,"  answered  Jack  bravely,  "  I  can  do  a 
day's  work  in  a  day  as  well  as  another." 

So  the  giant  said,  "  Well,  go  to  bed  now.  I 
will  tell  you  what  your  work  shall  be  in  the 
morning." 

Jack  went  to  bed,  and  early  the  next  day  the 
giant  took  him  out  to  the  farmyard  and  showed 
him  a  large  barn  from  the  roof  of  which  a  recent 
storm  had  blown  off  the  thatch.  "  Behind  this 
barn,"  said  the  giant,  "  you  will  find  a  great  heap 
of*  feathers.  Thatch  me  this  barn  with  those 
feathers,  and  if  the  job  is  not  done  by  the  time 
I  come  back  to-night,  I  shall  eat  you  at  once, 
without  waiting  for  you  to  get  any  fatter." 

Then  he  left,  laughing  as  he  went ;  for  he 
thought  he  had  given  Jack  a  job  he  could  not 
possibly  do. 

Jack  found  a  ladder  and  a  basket  and  began 
work.  He  filled  the  basket  and  climbed  the  ladder, 
and  tried  hard  to  lay  and  fasten  the  feathers  in 
place  on  the  roof,  but  the  wind  would  catch  them 
and  scatter  them  far  and  wide.  He  kept  at  his 
task  for  hours,  and  the  heap  of  feathers  was  half 
gone.  Yet  he  had  only  succeeded  in  thatching  a 
narrow  strip  along  one  edge  of  the  roof.  Finally, 
he  sat  down  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder,  completely 


68  LADY   FEATHERFLIGHT 

discouraged.  Pretty  soon  Lady  Featherflight  came 
with  some  food  for  him,  and  he  told  her  his 
troubles. 

"  Well/*  said  she,  "  while  you  are  eating  I  will 
see  what  I  can  do  to  help  you/' 

Then  she  began  walking  around  the  barn,  sing- 
ing as  she  went, 

"Birds  of  land  and  birds  of  sea, 
Come  and  thatch  this  roof  for  me." 

She  was  walking  around  the  second  time  when 
the  sky  grew  dark  with  what  seemed  like  a  heavy 
cloud  that  hid  the  sun.  The  cloud  came  nearer 
and  nearer  to  the  earth,  and  at  length  proved  to  be 
made  of  hundreds  and  thousands  of  birds.  They 
came  directly  to  the  barn,  and  each  alighted  on 
the  roof  with  a  feather  in  its  beak,  and  after 
tucking  the  feather  neatly  in  flew  away.  Thus  by 
the  time  Jack's  meal  was  finished  the  roof  was 
finished,  too. 

Then  Featherflight  said,  "  Now  let  us  talk  and 
enjoy  ourselves  until  the  giant  comes  home." 

So  they  walked  about  the  garden  and  grounds, 
and  Jack  thought  those  hours  were  the  pleasantest 
he  had  ever  known  in  his  life.  Toward  evening 
they  went  into  the  house  and  Jack  helped  Feather- 
flight  prepare  the  giant's  supper,  which  consisted 


LADY   FEATHERFLIGHT  69 

of  fourteen  loaves  of  bread,  two  sheep  roasted 
whole,  and  a  pudding  you  could  not  have  put  in 
a  bushel  basket. 

By  and  by  the  giant  came  back  and  pounded 
at  the  door  with  his  fists,  shouting,  "  Let  me  in, 
let  me  in!" 

As  soon  as  he  entered  he  called  to  Jack  and 
asked  how  he  had  got  on  with  his  thatching. 

"  You  '11  have  no  fault  to  find,"  said  Jack.  "  I 
told  you  I  could  do  a  day's  work  in  a  day  as  well 
as  another,  and  I  can." 

The  giant  made  no  response,  but  sat  down  and 
ate  his  supper.  The  next  morning  he  had  Jack 
go  out  with  him  while  he  looked  at  the  barn  roof. 
"  I  know  very  well  that  was  not  your  doing,"  he 
remarked. 

Then  he  went  on  a  little  beyond  the  barn  and 
showed  Jack  a  vast  heap  of  grain  seeds  of  many 
different  kinds.  "  Here  is  your  day's  work,"  said 
he.  "Separate  the  seeds  each  into  its  own  pile, 
and  if  the  job  is  n't  done  by  the  time  I  come 
back  to-night  I  shall  eat  you  at  once,  without 
fail." 

So  saying  he  left,  laughing  to  himself  as  he  went. 

Jack  sat  down  before  the  heap,  took  a  handful 
of  seeds,  put  wheat  in  one  pile,  rye  in  another, 


70  LADY    FEATHERFLIGHT 

barley  in  another,  and  oats  in  another.  But  though 
he  worked  very  industriously,  the  great  heap  was 
scarcely  diminished  at  all  when  noon  came.  Jack 
was  tired  out,  and  he  sat  down  with  his  back  against 
the  foundation  wall  of  the  barn,  feeling  very  sorrow- 
ful. Pretty  soon  Featherflight  came  with  some 
food  for  him,  and  he  told  her  how  badly  he  was 
getting  along  with  his  day's  task. 

"  Well,"  said  she,  "  while  you  are  eating  I  will 
see  what  I  can  do  to  help  you." 

Then  she  began  walking  around  the  heap  of 
seeds,  singing  as  she  went, 

"  Little  insects,  far  and  near, 
Come  and  sort  the  seeds  heaped  here." 

She  was  walking  around  the  heap  the  second 
time  when  the  ground  all  about  appeared  as  if  it 
were  moving.  From  behind  each  lump  of  earth, 
each  daisy  stem  and  blade  of  grass,  there  came 
some  little  insect,  gray,  black,  brown,  or  green,  and 
began  to  work  at  the  seeds ;  and  there  was  such 
a  multitude  of  insects  that  by  the  time  Jack's 
meal  was  finished  the  sorting  was  done. 

For  the  rest  of  the  day  Jack  and  Lady  Feather- 
flight  walked  and  talked  in  the  garden  to  their 
hearts'  content.  With  the  approach  of  evening 
they  went  into  the  palace,  and  Jack  helped  get 


LADY   FEATHERFLIGHT  71 

supper,  and  then  the  giant  came  thumping  at  the 
door,  and  shouting,  "Let  me  in,  let  me  in!" 

As  soon  as  Featherflight  opened  the  door  the 
giant  called  to  Jack  to  know  how  he  had  succeeded 
with  his  seed-sorting. 

"  You  '11  have  no  fault  to  find,"  said  Jack ;  "  for 
I  spoke  only  the  truth  when  I  told  you  I  could 
do  a  day's  work  in  a  day  as  well  as  another." 

Then  the  giant  sat  down  and  ate  with  a  great 
appetite  four  fat  pigs,  three  hens  and  a  gander, 
finishing  off  with  a  monster  pudding.  After  he 
had  disposed  of  these  things  he  was  so  sleepy  he 
could  not  hold  his  head  up,  and  he  said  to  Jack, 
"  Go  to  bed,  youngster ;  I  '11  see  your  work 
to-morrow." 

In  the  morning  he  called  Jack  early  out  to  the 
farmyard,  and  looked  at  the  seeds.  "  You  never 
did  that  sorting  alone,"  said  he. 

Then  he  walked  on  a  little  farther  and  showed 
Jack  a  heap  of  sand  and  said,  "  From  this  sand 
you  must  make  me  a  hundred  ropes  with  which 
I  may  tether  my  herd  of  cows,  and  if  the  job  is 
not  done  by  the  time  I  am  back  to-night  I  shall 
eat  you  immediately." 

So  saying  he  turned  on  his  heel  and  went  away 
laughing. 


72  LADY   FEATHERFLIGHT 

Jack  took  some  sand  into  his  hands  to  see  if 
he  could  by  any  means  twist  it  into  the  form  of 
a  rope.  But  his  efforts  were  wasted,  and  he 
threw  the  sand  away  and  went  into  the  palace  to 
tell  Featherflight  how  things  were.  "  I  know  you 
would  help  me  if  you  could,"  said  he ;  "  but  this 
task  is  beyond  you,  and  I  feel  myself  between 
the  giant's  teeth  already." 

"  Don't  be  so  disheartened,"  she  responded. 
"  Sit  down  and  we  will  plan  what  to  do." 

They  talked  and  planned  all  the  day  until  at 
last  they  had  to  stop  to  get  the  giant's  supper 
ready.  At  length  the  giant  came  slamming  at  the 
door,  and  he  was  no  sooner  in  than  he  wanted 
to  know  how  Jack  had  got  along  with  his  rope- 
making. 

"  It  is  as  I  told  you,"  replied  Jack ;  "  I  can 
do  a  day's  work  in  a  day  as  well  as  another,  and 
you  are  welcome  to  see  what  I  have  done  in  the 
morning." 

Then  the  giant  sat  down  and  ate  heartily  and 
went  off  to  bed.  But  Jack  and  Lady  Feather- 
flight  waited  in  the  kitchen  until  they  heard  the 
giant  snoring,  and  then  Featherflight  took  the 
keys  of  the  treasure-room  and  they  went  together 
and  got  several  bags  of  gold.  After  that  they 


LADY   FEATHERFLIGHT  73 

hurried  out  and  selected  the  best  horse  in  the 
best  stable,  and  Jack  mounted  with  Featherflight 
behind  him  and  off  they  went. 

At  three  o'clock  the  next  morning  the  giant 
woke  and  called  out,  "  Jack,  get  up  ; "  for  Jack's 
room  was  near  by,  and  the  giant's  command  would 
certainly  have  been  heard  had  Jack  been  in  his 
room  as  the  giant  supposed. 

But  there  was  no  response,  and  the  giant  turned 
over  and  went  to  sleep.  At  four  o'clock  the  giant 
woke  again  and  called  out,  "  Jack,  get  up!" 

But  he  received  no  reply,  and  he  turned  over 
and  went  to  sleep.  At  five  o'clock  he  awoke  the 
third  time  and  shouted,  "JACK,  GET  UP!" 

"  What  ails  the  fellow  ? "  he  growled  when  he 
received  no  answer.  "  I  '11  rouse  him  out  in  a 
way  he  won't  like,"  and  the  giant  went  stamping 
along  the  passage. 

Of  course  Jack's  room  was  empty,  and  after 
the  giant  had  looked  in  and  noticed  that  the  bed 
had  not  been  slept  in  he  went  downstairs  to  the 
kitchen.  Everything  was  cold  and  silent  there 
-no  fire,  no  Jack,  no  Featherflight.  "Ah,  ha!" 
he  exclaimed,  "they've  like  enough  run  away." 

Then  he  hastened  out  to  the  farmyard  and 
found  the  door  of  his  best  stable  open  and  his 


74  LADY   FEATHERFLIGHT 

best  horse  gone.  But  the  giant  was  so  big  and 
strong  that  he  could  outrun  any  horse  in  the 
world,  and  he  went  after  Jack  and  Featherflight 
as  swift  as  the  wind.  They  had  been  galloping 
all  the  night,  but  now  the  day  was  come  and 
presently  Jack  heard  a  sound  behind  them,  and 
turning  to  look  he  saw  the  giant  striding  along  to 
catch  them.  "Oh,  Featherflight,"  he  cried,  "all 
is  lost!" 

But  Featherflight  said,  "  Keep  steady,  Jack,  let 
the  horse  go  right  on." 

Then  she  took  from  her  pocket  a  little  stick 
and  threw  it  back  over  her  left  shoulder.  Im- 
mediately there  grew  up  behind  them  a  hard- 
wood forest  so  dense  and  tangled  the  giant  could 
not  get  through  it. 

"  We  are  saved,"  said  Jack. 

"  That 's  not  so  certain,"  responded  Feather- 
flight  ;  "  but  at  any  rate  we  have  gained  some  time." 

The  giant  was  obliged  to  go  home  to  get  an  ax. 
However,  he  quickly  returned  and  hacked  and 
hewed  his  way  through  the  woods  and  was  on 
the  trail  again.  Presently  Jack  heard  him  coming. 
"Oh,  Featherflight,"  he  said,  "there  is  the  giant! 
He  will  soon  overtake  us.  We  cannot  escape  him 
this  time." 


The  magic  forest  stops  the  giant  in  bis  pursuit  of  Jack  and 
Lady  Featberjligbt 


LADY   FEATHERFLIGHT  77 

"  Keep  steady,  Jack,"  she  said,  "  and  let  the 
horse  go  straight  on." 

Then  she  took  from  her  pocket  a  little  vial  of 
water  and  threw  it  back  over  her  right  shoulder, 
and  the  vial  broke  when  it  fell  to  the  ground,  and 
the  water  became  a  deep  lake  between  them  and  the 
giant.  Jack  was  so  elated  then  that  he  stopped  the 
horse  and  waved  his  hat  toward  the  giant  who  was 
standing  on  the  farther  shore. 

The  giant  shook  his  fist  at  them  and  looked 
this  way  and  that,  in  doubt  what  to  do  next. 
"How  can  I  get  over?"  the  monster  bellowed. 

"  Drink  your  way  through,"  shouted  Jack. 

So  the  giant  stooped  down  and  drank  and  drank 
and  drank  until  he  burst,  and  that  was  the  end 
of  him. 

As  for  Jack  and  Featherflight,  they  went  on 
now  more  leisurely,  for  they  no  longer  feared  pur- 
suit. By  and  by  they  came  near  to  a  town  and 
stopped  under  a  tree.  "  Featherflight,"  said  Jack, 
"  you  climb  this  tree  and  hide,  and  I  will  go  to 
the  town  to  get  a  parson  to  come  and  marry  us. 
Another  thing  I  must  do  is  to  buy  a  suit  of 
fine  clothes  before  I  am  seen  with  so  beautiful  a 
lady  as  yourself." 

So  Featherflight  climbed  the  tree  and  hid  in  the 


7 8  LADY   FEATHERFLIGHT 

thick  leafage.  She  found  a  comfortable  place  to 
sit  among  the  branches,  and  then  she  observed 
that  directly  below  her  was  a  clear  spring  into 
which  she  could  look  and  see  the  reflection  of 
her  face  as  in  a  mirror.  This  spring  was  used  by 
all  the  housewives  of  the  town,  and  every  morn 
and  noon  and  evening  they  resorted  thither  to 
gossip  and  fill  their  pails  and  pitchers.  No  water 
was  so  sweet  anywhere  else.  Featherflight  had  not 
been  long  in  the  tree  when  the  carpenter's  wife 
came  and  bent  over  the  spring.  There  she  saw 
Featherflight's  lovely  face  reflected ;  but  she  thought 
it  was  her  own  and  she  looked  with  astonishment, 
exclaiming,  "  What !  I  a  carpenter's  wife  and  so 
handsome  ;  and  here  I  am  a  common  drudge  come 
to  this  spring  for  water.  Well,  I  '11  do  no  more 
such  work !  I  '11  go  away  from  this  poor  little 
town  and  seek  my  fortune." 

So  she  threw  down  her  pitcher,  and  off  she 
went  along  the  road  that  led  away  from  the 
town. 

The  next  woman  who  came  for  water  was  the 
butcher's  wife,  and  as  she  bent  over  the  clear 
spring  she  saw  Featherflight's  lovely  face ;  but 
she  thought  it  was  her  own.  She  gazed  with 
astonishment,  exclaiming,  "  What !  I  a  butcher's  wife 


LADY   FEATHERFLIGHT  79 

and  so  handsome  ;  yet  here  I  am  a  common  drudge. 
Well,  I  '11  do  no  more  housework  !  I  '11  leave  this 
poor  little  town  at  once  and  seek  my  fortune." 

So  she  threw  down  the  pail  she  had  in  her  hand, 
and  off  she  went  along  the  road  that  led  away  from 
the  town. 

In  the  same  manner  all  the  other  wives  of  the 
town  came  and  looked  in  the  spring  and  were  sur- 
prised at  what  they  thought  was  their  own  beauty 
and  went  away  to  seek  their  fortunes. 

But  presently  the  men  of  the  town  began  to 
want  their  dinners,  and  one  by  one  they  went 
out  on  the  streets  each  to  ask  the  others  if  they 
had  by  any  chance  seen  his  wife.  No,  not  a  wife 
had  been  seen  since  they  had  gone  for  water. 
Then  the  men  began  to  fear  foul  play,  and  all 
together  they  walked  out  of  the  town  to  the 
spring.  When  they  reached  it  they  found  many 
broken  pitchers  and  overturned  pails  strewn  around, 
and  were  certain  then  their  wives  had  met  with 
some  mysterious  disaster.  One  of  the  men  hap- 
pened to  glance  into  the  spring  and  saw  a  face 
reflected.  He  knew  it  was  not  his  own,  and  he 
began  to  look  about.  In  a  moment  or  two  he 
saw  Lady  Featherflight  among  the  branches  of  the 
tree,  and  he  called  to  his  comrades,  "  Here  is  some 


8o  LADY   FEATHERFLIGHT 

one  in  the  tree.  I  '11  wager  she  knows  what  has 
become  of  our  wives,  and  has  had  something  to 
do  with  spiriting  them  away." 

"  Yes  !  "  cried  another.  "Here  is  the  enchan- 
tress. She  has  bewitched  our  wives.  Let  us  kill 
her  ! " 

They  began  to  drag  her  out  of  the  tree  in  spite 
of  all  she  could  say  or  do ;  but  just  then  Jack 
came  galloping  back  on  his  horse  with  the  parson 
mounted  behind ;  and  in  his  fine  new  clothes  you 
would  hardly  have  known  him  to  be  the  poor 
ragged  fellow  who  passed  over  the  road  in  the 
other  direction  only  a  short  time  previous.  As  he 
drew  near  he  saw  the  crowd  and  shouted,  "What 's 
the  matter  ?  What  are  you  doing  with  that 
lady  ? " 

The  men  replied,  "We  are  going  to  hang  her. 
She  has  bewitched  our  wives,  and  murdered  them, 
too,  for  all  we  know." 

rThen  the  parson  got  down  off  the  horse  from 
behind  Jack  and  told  the  men  to  stop  and  let 
Lady  Featherflight  tell  her  own  story.  So  they 
asked  her  what  sh%  had  to  say  for  herself,  and 
when  she  told  them  how  their  wiyes  had  mistaken 
her  face  in  the  spring  for  theirs  and  what  the 
wives  had  said  they  were  silent  for  a  few  moments, 


LADY   FEATHERFLIGHT  8 1 

and  then  one  and  all  exclaimed,  "  Well,  if  that  is 
what  our  wives  think  of  themselves  we  will  seek 
for  them  no  farther.  They  can  come  home  when 
they  get  ready  ; "  and  the  men  turned  and  walked 
back  to  the  town. 

The  parson  married  Jack  and  Lady  Feather- 
flight  on  the  spot,  and  then  they  also  went  to 
the  town,  and  there  they  saw  a  splendid  mansion 
they  thought  they  would  like  and  Jack  bought  it. 
In  that  they  lived  happily  for  many  months,  but  at 
last  Jack  began  to  wish  for  more  of  the  giant's 
treasure  and  proposed  that  they  should  go  back 
after  it.  "  But  how  could  we  cross  the  lake  you 
made  ?  "  said  he. 

"  We  might  build  a  bridge/*  replied  Lady 
Featherflight. 

The  bridge  was  built  and  they  went  over  it 
with  many  wagons  and  horses,  and  loaded  the 
wagons  at  the  giant's  palace  with  great  riches.  But 
as  the  wagons  on  their  return  were  crossing  the 
bridge  the  last  one  broke  the  bridge  down,  and 
all  the  gold  and  silver  and  jewels  on  that  wagon 
were  lost  in  the  lake. 

"  Alas !  "  Jack  lamented,  "  now  the  bridge  is 
gone  and  we  can  get  nothing  more  from  the 
giant's  treasure-room." 


82  LADY   FEATHERFLIGHT 

But  Lady  Featherflight  said,  "  Why  not  mend 
the  bridge  ?  " 

"  To  be  sure  ! "  said  Jack,  <c  why  not  ?  " 

So  the  bridge  was  mended 
And  my  story  's  ended. 


THE    LITTLE    RED   HEN   AND 
THE    WHEAT 

ONCE  there  was  a  little  red  hen,  and  she 
found  a  grain  of  wheat  in  the  barnyard 
and  said,  "  Who  will  plant  this  wheat  ? " 

"  I  won't,"  says  the  dog. 

"  I  won't,"  says  the  cat. 

"  I  won't,"  says  the  goose. 

"  I  won't,"  says  the  turkey. 

"  I  will,  then,"  says  the  little  red  hen.  "  Ca-ca- 
ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-^^-cut ! " 

So  she  planted  the  grain  of  wheat.  Pretty  soon 
the  wheat  began  to  grow  and  the  green  leaves  came 
up  out  of  the  ground.  The  sun  shone  and  the  rain 
fell  and  the  wheat  kept  on  growing  until  it  was  a 
tall,  strong  stalk  and  had  a  big  head  of  ripe  grain  at 
the  top. 

"  Who  will  reap  this  wheat  ? "  says  the  little  red 
hen. 

"  I  won't,"  says  the  dog. 

"  I  won't,"  says  the  cat. 


84       THE   LITTLE   RED    HEN   AND   THE   WHEAT 

cc  I  won't,"  says  the  goose. 

"  I  won't/'  says  the  turkey. 

"  I  will,  then,"  says  the  little  red  hen.  "  Ca-ca- 
ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-</tf<z-cut  !  " 

So  she  reaped  the  wheat. 

"  Who  will  thresh  this  wheat  ?  "  says  the  little 
red  hen. 

"  I  won't,"  says  the  dog. 

"  I  won't,"  says  the  cat. 

"  I  won't,"  says  the  goose. 

"  I  won't,"  says  the  turkey. 

"  I  will,  then,"  says  the  little  red  hen.     "  Ca-ca- 


So  she  threshed  the  wheat. 

"  Who   will   take   this  wheat  to  mill  to  have  it 
ground  ?  "  says  the  little  red  hen. 

"  I  won't,"  says  the  dog. 

"  I  won't,"  says  the  cat. 

"  I  won't,"  says  the  goose. 

"  I  won't,"  says  the  turkey. 
c  I  will,  then,"  says  the  little  red  hen.     "  Ca-ca-ca- 
ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-^2#-cut  !  " 

So  she  took  the  wheat  to  mill,  and  by  and  by  she 
came  back  with  the  flour. 

"  Who  will  bake  this  flour  ?  "  says  the  little  red  hen. 

"  I  won't,"  says  the  dog. 


THE    LITTLE   RED    HEN    AND    THE    WHEAT        85 


*"  I  won't,"  says  the  cat. 

"  I  won't,"  says  the  goose. 

"  I  won't,"  says  the  turkey. 

"  I  will,  then,"  says  the  little  red  hen.    "  Ca-ca-ca- 

a-ca-ca-^/tftf-cut ! " 
So  she  baked  the  flour  and  made  a  loaf  of  bread. 
"  Who  will  eat  this  bread  ?  "  says 
the  little  red  hen. 


"  I  will,"  says  the  dog. 

"  I  will,"  says  the  cat. 

"  I  will,"  says  the  goose. 

"  I  will,"  says  the  turkey. 

"  I  will,"  says  the  little  red  hen.  "  Ca-ca-ca-ca- 
ca-ca-ca-ca-^^-cut  ! "  and  she  ate  the  loaf  of  bread 
all  up. 


A    BEAR    STORY 


A  I  was  going  up  stin-dum-stair-um  I    met  a 
high-gig-gle-y-bon-bear-um  carrying  off  my 
fin-dum-fair-um  ;  and    I    said,    "  I  wish    I 
had  my  gish-me-gair-um  ;   I  'd  show  that  high-gig- 
gle-y-bon-bear-um     how 
to  carry  off  my  fin-dum- 
fair-um  !  " 

In  plain  English  this 
nursery  tale  is  as  follows  : 
As   I   was  going  up 
stairs  I  met  a  bear  carry- 
ing off  my  hog  ;  and  I 
said,  "  I  wish  I  had  my 
gun  ;  I  'd  show  that  bear 
how  to  carry  off  my 
hog!" 


FOOLISH    JIM    AND    CLEVER 
JAMES 

THERE  was  once  a  fellow  who  was  so 
simple  that  people  called  him  Foolish 
Jim.  Every  one  made  fun  of  him,  for  he 
would  keep  a  candle  burning  all  through  the  day, 
and  when  it  began  to  be  dark  he  would  blow  the 
light  out.  He  would  carry  an  umbrella  spread  over 
his  head  to  protect  himself  from  the  rain  when  there 
was  not  a  cloud  in  the  sky.  He  would  wear  an 
overcoat  on  the  hottest  day  of  summer  and  walk 
about  outdoors  in  his  shirt  sleeves  in  midwinter. 
Indeed,  he  did  everything  contrary  to  common 
sense.  By  and  by  the  king  heard  of  him,  and, 
thinking  Foolish  Jim  would  afford  some  amuse- 
ment, he  sent  for  him.  When  Jim  came  he  looked 
so  awkward  that  the  king  and  all  his  courtiers  began 
to  laugh. 

"  Do  you  know  how  to  count  ?  "  asked  the  king. 

"  I  know  how  to  count  eggs,"  Foolish  Jim 
replied,  "  for  yesterday  I  found  four  and  two." 

"  How  many  does  that  make?  "  said  the  king. 


88  FOOLISH  JIM    AND    CLEVER  JAMES 

"  I  can't  say/'  Jim  answered,  "  but  I  will  go  and 
count  the  eggs  and  find  out." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  king. 

So  Foolish  Jim  went  and  counted  the  eggs,  and 
when  he  returned  he  told  the  king  there  were  four 
and  two. 

The  king  and  his  friends  made  merry  over  this 
response  for  some  time,  but  at  last  the  king  said, 
"  How  would  you  like  to  marry  my  daughter, 
Foolish  Jim  ?  " 

"That  would  just  suit  me,"  Jim  replied. 

"  All  right,"  said  the  king ;  "  then  I  must  explain 
to  you  that  about  a  month  ago  I  agreed  my  daughter 
should  marry  the  first  man  who  guessed  a  riddle 
that  I  have  made.  I  allow  three  guesses,  and  who- 
ever tries  the  three  times  and  fails  is  put  to  death. 
Fifty  men  have  lost  their  lives  already.  So  take 
warning  and  remember  that  you  need  not  try  unless 
you  choose." 

"  Oh,  yes  !  I  will  try,"  said  Jim.  "  Let  me  hear 
the  riddle." 

"  The  riddle  is  this,"  responded  the  king.  "  What 
is  it  that  early  in  the  morning  walks  on  four  legs,  at 
noon  on  two,  and  in  the  evening  on  three  legs  ? 
You  may  come  again  on  the  first  day  of  April  and 


answer  me." 


FOOLISH  JIM    AND   CLEVER  JAMES  89 

So  Jim  went  away,  and  he  did  nothing  but  think 
until  the  first  of  April  came.  Every  one  knew  that 
he  was  going  to  try  to  guess  the  king's  riddle,  and 
they  all  thought  he  would  surely  fail.  Most  of 
them  were  sorry  for  him,  and  the  only  person  who 
was  glad  was  a  bad  man  who  was  one  of  Jim's 
neighbors.  This  man  wanted  to  have  Jim's  horse, 
and  he  said  to  himself,  "  Jim  is  so  foolish  there  is 
no  chance  whatever  of  his  guessing  that  riddle.  I 
may  as  well  save  him  the  trouble  of  going  to  the  king, 
and  at  the  same  time  get  his  horse  for  my  own." 

The  first  day  of  April  came,  and  the  bad  man 
put  a  basket  of  poisoned  cakes  on  a  bridge  over 
which  Foolish  Jim  was  to  pass.  "  He  will  eat 
those  cakes,"  said  the  man,  "  and  then  he  will  die 
and  I  will  take  the  horse." 

Pretty  soon  Foolish  Jim  came  riding  along,  and 
when  he  saw  the  basket  of  cakes  on  the  bridge  he 
got  off  his  horse  and  picked  them  up.  "  This  is 
very  queer,"  said  he ;  "a  basket  of  cakes  and  no 
one  in  sight  to  whom  they  might  belong." 

They  smelled  good  and  were  very  tempting,  but 
he  was  a  little  suspicious.  "  I  will  give  a  few  of 
them  to  my  horse  before  I  eat  any,"  said  he. 

So  he  took  up  several  of  the  cakes  and  fed  them 
to  the  horse,  and  almost  immediately  the  poor 


9° 


FOOLISH  JIM    AND    CLEVER  JAMES 


beast  fell  dead  on  the  bridge.     "  See/'  said  Foolish 
Jim,  "  if  I  had  not  been  prudent,  it  is  I  who  would 


be  dead  instead  of  my  horse.     Well,  well,  and  now 
I  shall  have  to  go  the  rest  of  the  way  on  foot/' 

Before  he  started  he  threw  his  horse  into  the 
river,  and  as  the  body  was  being  carried  away  by 
the  current  three  buzzards  alighted  on  it  and  began 
to  eat.  Foolish  Jim  watched  his  horse  until  it 


FOOLISH  JIM   AND   CLEVER   JAMES  91 

floated  around  a  turn  in  the  river  and  disappeared. 
"  Now,0  said  he,  wagging  his  head,  "  I  shall  have 
something  to  ask  the  king  to  guess." 

When  Foolish  Jim  arrived  at  the  king's  palace 
he  found  no  rivals,  for  so  many  had  failed  and  been 
beheaded  that  others  who  were  inclined  to  have  a 
try  at  the  riddle  were  a  good  deal  discouraged.  But 
Jim  went  directly  to  the  king  and  said,"  If  I  guess 
your  riddle,  will  you  give  me  your  daughter  ? " 

"  Yes/'  the  king  replied. 

"  Well,  the  riddle  is  easily  answered,"  said  Foolish 
Jim. 

"  Say  no  more,"  commanded  the  king,  "  but  let 
us  have  the  answer  at  once." 

"  Hearken,  then,"  said  Foolish  Jim.  "  A  little 
child  before  he  is  able  to  stand  walks  on  four  legs ; 
when  he  grows  stronger  he  walks  on  two,  and  when 
he  is  old  he  has  to  carry  a  cane  and  that  makes 
three  legs." 

All  persons  present  had  been  listening  with  th^ir 
mouths  wide  open,  they  were  so  astonished. 

"  You  have  guessed  right,"  said  the  king,  "  and  I 
see  you  are  not  so  foolish  as  you  would  have  people 
believe.  My  daughter  will  be  your  wife." 

"  I  beg  you  will  allow  me  to  ask  you  a  riddle  now," 
said  Foolish  Jim. 


92  FOOLISH  JIM   AND   CLEVER   JAMES 

The  king  thought  he  was  so  keen  at  guessing 
riddles  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  ask  one  he 
could  not  correctly  answer.  "  Certainly,"  he  replied, 
"  and  if  I  do  not  guess  it  I  will  forfeit  my  kingdom 
to  you." 

Then  Foolish  Jim  said,  "  I  saw  a  dead  being  that 
was  carrying  three  living  beings  and  was  nourishing 
them.  The  dead  did  not  touch  the  land  and  was 
not  in  the  sky.  Tell  me  what  it  was,  or  I  shall 
take  your  kingdom/' 

The  king  tried  to  guess.  He  said  this,  that,  and 
a  thousand  things  ;  but  in  the  end  he  had  to  give 
up,  and  Foolish  Jim  said,  "The  dead  being  was  my 
horse.  He  died  on  a  bridge.  I  threw  him  into 
the  river,  and  as  he  floated  away  three  buzzards 
alighted  on  him  and  were  eating  him,  and  he  did 
not  touch  the  land  and  was  not  in  the  sky." 

Everybody  now  saw  that  Foolish  Jim  was  smarter 
than  all  of  them  together.  He  married  the  king's 
daughter  and  took  the  monarch's  place  and  governed 
the  kingdom,  and  instead  of  being  called  Foolish 
Jim  he  was  known  as  <c  Clever  James." 


THE    BEG«AR    AND    THE 
PRINCESS 

ONCE  there  was  a  boy  who  had  a  wonderful 
horse.  When  he  wanted  to  ride,  all  he  had 
to  do  was  to  say,  "  Saddle  and  bridle  my 
little  horse,'*  and  no  matter  where  the  boy  was  the 
horse  came  immediately,  all  ready  to  be  mounted. 

Then  the  boy  would  go  for  a  ride,  and  when  he 
had  ridden  as  much  as  he  pleased,  he  would  dis- 
mount and  say,  "  Off  saddle,  off  bridle,"  and  at 
once  in  place  of  the  horse  there  was  a  little  cloud  of 
mist  that  in  a  moment  afterward  had  melted  into 
nothing. 

The  boy  lived  with  his  mother,  but  at  length  he 
grew  up,  and  was  tired  of  staying  at  home.  So  he 
set  out  to  seek  adventures.  He  told  no  one  where 
he  was  going,  but  mounted  his  horse  and  travelled 
for  a  long  time  until  he  arrived  in  the  country  of  a 
great  king.  As  he  was  riding  through  this  country 
he  came  to  a  large  city,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  city 
lived  the  king  in  a  handsome  palace.  The  young 


94  THE   BEGGAR   AND   THE   PRINCESS 

man  stopped  his  horse  before  the  palace  and  sat 
admiring  the  fine  building  when  a  coach  came  forth 
from  the  gates  and  passed  him.  In  the  coach  sat 
the  king's  daughter,  and  she  was  very  beautiful. 

"Ah!"  said  the  young  man,  "I  wish  I  might 
marry  that  beautiful  princess.  I  must  contrive 
some  way  to  speak  with  her." 

So  he  dismounted  and  said,  "  Off  saddle,  off 
bridle,"  and  his  horse  was  instantly  gone  from  sight. 

Now  he  went  to  a  second-hand  clothing  shop  in 
the  city  and  bought  the  most  ragged  suit  of  clothes 
he  could  get,  and  after  that  he  sought  out  a  lodg- 
ing-place for  the  night. 

The  next  morning  he  dressed  himself  in  the 
ragged  clothes  and  put  his  other  clothes  in  a  bundle 
and  returned  to  the  king's  palace.  He  went  in  at 
a  side  gate  and  around  to  the  rear  to  the  kitchen, 
and  made  signs  that  he  wanted  work.  He  would 
say  no  words,  but  only  mumbled,  and  the  king's 
servants  thought  he  was  an  idiot.  However,  they 
were  kind  to  him,  and  he  helped  them  at  their  work 
and  they  let  him  sleep  on  the  kitchen  hearth.  As 
they  did  not  know  his  name  they  called  him  "  The 
Beggar." 

He  remained  in  the  kitchen  for  a  whole  week, 
and  when  Sunday  came  everybody  in  the  palace 


THE   BEGGAR   AND   THE    PRINCESS 


95 


went  to  church  except  the  beggar  and  the  princess. 
As  to  the  beggar,  no  one  thought  of  his  going, 
for  his  clothes  were  not  good  enough ;  and  the 


princess  stayed  at  home  because  she  was  not  feeling 
well  that  day. 

The  rest  of  the  household  were  no  sooner  out 
of  the  way  than  the  beggar  put  on  his  fine  garments, 
which  he  had  kept  tied  up  in  a  bundle,  and  said, 
"Saddle  and  bridle  my  little  horse." 


96  THE    BEGGAR    AND    THE    PRINCESS 

The  horse  appeared  at  once,  and  the  young  man 
began  to  ride  back  and  forth  on  the  paths  of  the 
palace  gardens.  Pretty  soon  the  princess  saw  him 
and  she  stepped  out  on  a  little  balcony  and  called 
to  him  to  know  who  he  was.  So  he  came  close  up 
under  the  window,  and  they  talked  together  until 
they  heard  the  people  coming  from  church.  Then 
the  young  man  dashed  away  to  get  out  of  sight,  and 
in  his  haste  ran  his  horse  across  a  flower-bed  and 
broke  some  of  the  pots  and  tender  plants.  But  he 
got  safely  to  the  kitchen  and  made  his  horse  dis- 
appear and  put  on  his  shabby  clothes  again. 

The  damage  in  the  garden  was  reported  to  the 
king,  and  he  tried  to  discover  who  had  done  it,  and 
was  very  angry.  He  summoned  his  servants,  but 
they  said  that  the  beggar  was  the  only  one  who 
had  remained  at  home.  So  the  king  questioned 
the  beggar,  but  he  would  only  mumble  in  reply, 
and  the  king  could  do  nothing  with  him. 

The  next  Sunday  every  one  went  to  church  except 
the  princess  and  the  beggar.  She  stayed  at  home 
because  she  wanted  to  see  him  again,  and  no  one 
expected  him  to  go  because  his  clothes  were  not 
good  enough.  But  when  the  other  servants  were 
gone  it  did  not  take  him  long  to  get  into  his  fine 
garments  and  call  for  his  horse.  Then  he  rode  in 


THE   BEGGAR   AND   THE    PRINCESS  97 

the  garden,  and  presently  he  saw  the  princess  at  her 
window  waiting  to  speak  with  him. 

They  talked  together  just  as  they  had  the  week 
before,  until  they  heard  the  people  coming  from 
church,  and  then  the  young  man  had  to  hurry  to 
get  out  of  sight.  There  was  no  time  to  lose,  and 
he  galloped  across  a  flower-bed  and  broke  some 
more  pots  and  tender  plants. 

The  king  was  furious  when  he  saw  this  new 
damage,  and  he  declared  that  the  rascal  who  was 
spoiling  his  garden  must  be  caught. 

So  the  third  Sunday  the  king  stayed  at  home  from 
church,  and  hid  in  the  palace  cellar  where  there  was 
a  narrow  window  that  looked  out  on  the  garden. 
Thence  he^watched,  and  presently  he  saw  the  young 
man  riding  on  the  paths,  and  he  ran  out  and  caught 
the  horse  by  the  bridle. 

c  What  do  you  mean,  you  villain,  by  riding 
around  in  my  garden  this  way  ?  "  shouted  the  king. 
"  I  '11  have  your  head  taken  off  as  soon  as  my 
servants  get  back  from  church." 

The  young  man  leaped  down  from  his  horse  and 
said,  "  Off  saddle,  off  bridle,"  and  the  king  saw  a 
little  puff  of  fog  disappearing,  and  the  horse  was 
gone,  and  his  hand  that  had  gripped  the  horse's 
bridle  was  empty. 

7 


98  THE   BEGGAR   AND   THE   PRINCESS 

He  rubbed  his  eyes.  "  Good  heavens  ! "  he  ex- 
claimed, "  can  you  do  such  things  as  that  ?  " 

"Yes,"  said  the  young  man,  "and  I  beg  you  will 
hear  my  story." 

So  he  told  the  king  all  about  himself  and  his 
wonderful  horse,  and  the  king  was  very  much 
interested.  Last  of  all  the  young  man  told  the 
king  how  he  loved  his  daughter,  and  that  he  wanted 
to  marry  her;  and  the  king  said  he  was  willing. 
So  the  young  man  sent  for  his  mother,  and  he 
married  the  princess,  and  they  lived  a  long  time 
and  were  very  happy. 


THE    OGRE'S    WIFE 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  pretty  young 
girl  who  was  very  proud,  and  she  never 
failed  to  find  some  pretext  or  other  for 
sending  promptly  away  every  young  man  who  came 
to  court  her.  One  was  too  fat,  another  was  too 
thin,  this  one  had  red  hair,  that  one  had  big  feet. 
In  short  she  refused  all  her  suitors. 

Finally  her  mother  picked  a  pumpkin  and  had  it 
put  on  the  top  of  a  very  tall  pole.  "  Do  you  see 
that  pumpkin  ?  "  said  she  to  her  daughter.  "  The 
young  man  who  climbs  up  and  gets  that  pumpkin 
will  be  your  husband." 

The  daughter  said  she  did  not  object ;  but 
her  reason  for  not  objecting  was  that  she  did  not 
think  any  young  man  could  climb  so  slender  and 
lofty  a  pole.  They  sent  notices  far  and  wide  and 
appointed  a  day  for  the  climbers  to  show  their 
agility.  '  When  the  day  came  a  crowd  of  young 
men  presented  themselves,  and  the  last  to  arrive 
was  handsomer  and  more  beautifully  dressed  than 


100  THE   OGRE'S   WIFE 

any  of  the  others.  He  was  an  ogre  in  disguise,  but 
nobody  knew  him,  and  the  young  girl  admired  his 
appearance  so  much  that  she  said  to  her  mother,  "  I 
hope  he  will  get  the  pumpkin/' 

One  after  another  the  young  men  tried  to  climb 
the  pole,  and  one  after  another  they  failed  to  climb 
high  enough  to  seize  the  pumpkin  and  had  to 
return  to  the  ground  without  it.  However,  when 
the  turn  of  the  ogre  came  he  climbed  with  ease  right 
up  to  the  top  of  the  pole  and  brought  the  pumpkin 
down  with  him.  Then  he  said  to  the  young  girl, 
"  Come  now,  we  will  go  home  to  my  house." 

The  girl  put  on  her  best  dress  and  got  into  the 
ogre's  carriage  and  went  away  with  him.  On  the 
road  they  met  a  man  who  said  to  the  ogre,  "  Give 
me  my  hat  and  gloves  which  I  lent  to  you." 

The  ogre  took  off  his  hat  and  gloves  and  gave 
them  to  the  man.  "  Here,  take  your  old  hat  and 
gloves  !  "  said  he,  and  drove  on. 

Pretty  soon  another  man  met  them  and  said  to 
the  ogre,  "  Give  me  my  coat  which  I  lent  to  you." 

The  ogre  took  off  his  coat  and  gave  it  to  the  man. 
"  Here,  take  your  old  coat !  "  he  said,  and  drove  on. 

After  a  while  another  man  stopped  them  and 
said  to  the  ogre,  "  Give  me  my  collar  and  cravat 
which  I  lent  to  you." 


THE   OGRE'S   WIFE  IOI 

The  ogre  took  off  his  collar  and  cravat  and  gave 
them  to  the  man.  "  Here,  take  your  old  collar  and 
cravat !  "  he  said,  and  drove  on. 

He  was  not  at  all  well  dressed  now,  and  .the 
young  girl  did  not  think  he  looked  nearly  ao  hand- 
some as  when  she  first  saw  him,  and'-she  was 
beginning  to  be  very  much  frightened.  At  last, 
when  they  were  almost  to  the  ogre's  house,  another 
man  met  them  and  said,  "  Give  me  my  horses 
which  I  lent  to  you." 

The  ogre  gave  him  the  two  horses  that  drew 
the  carriage.  "  Here,  take  your  old  horses  !  "  he 
said. 

When  the  man  was  gone  with  the  horses,  the 
ogre  ordered  his  wife  to  get  out  and  draw  the 
carnage  the  rest  of  the  way.  This  she  did,  and  she 
was  more  scared  than  she  had  ever  been  before  in 
her  life.  Pretty  soon  they  came  to  where  the 
ogre  lived,  and  he  said  to  his  wife,  "  I  shall  be 
away  until  evening.  Go  in  and  stay  with  my 
housekeeper  until  I  return." 

She  went  indoors,  and  the  housekeeper  said, 
"  Ah,  my  dear,  you  have  taken  a  bad  husband. 
You  have  married  an  ogre." 

The  poor  girl  was  very  much  distressed  when  she 
heard  what  he  really  was,  and  she  said  to  the  old 


102  THE    OGRE'S   WIFE 

woman,  "  Could  you   not  tell  me  how   I   can  run 
away  ? " 

"Yes,  I  will  tell  you,"  replied  the  old  woman. 
"•Go  a;nd  hide  in  the  chicken-house,  and  spend  the 
night  there.  It  is  time  now  to  give  the  chickens 
their, evening  feed.  You  will  find  a  sack  of  corn  just 
inside  the  door.  Let  them  have  all  of  the  corn  they 
will  eat,  especially  the  rooster.  It  is  the  rooster's 
business  to  awake  his  master  in  the  morning,  and  if 
he  has  a  full  crop  he  will  oversleep  and  give  you  a 
better  chance  to  get  away.  Start  as  soon  as  you 
can  see,  and  carry  with  you  four  eggs  from  the 
chicken-house  nests.  If  you  find  the  ogre  chasing 
you,  throw  an  egg  on  the  ground  behind  you." 

The  young  lady  did  all  that  the  ogre's  house- 
keeper told  her  to  do,  and  in  the  earliest  gray  of 
the  morning  she  left  the  chicken-house,  carrying 
four  eggs  tied  up  in  her  handkerchief. 

The  ogre's  rooster  had  eaten  so  much  corn 
that  he  overslept  and  gave  the  girl  a  long  start, 
but  when  he  awoke  he  at  once  began  to  crow 
and  make  a  great  racket,  shouting,  "  Master, 
master  !  get  up  quickly  !  Some  one  has  run  away  ! 
Cock-a-doodle-do  !  " 

The  ogre  got  up  without  delay  and  started  at  a 
tremendous  pace  after  his  wife.  She  presently  saw 


THE   OGRE'S   WIFE  103 

him  coming  and  dashed  an  egg  on  the  ground 
behind  her.  Immediately  there  rose  between  her 
and  her  pursuer  a  high,  strong  wooden  fence,  and 
the  ogre  could  neither  get  through  it  nor  over  it, 
and  had  to  go  home  to  get  an  ax  to  cut  the  fence 
down.  But  after  a  time  he  returned  and  chopped  a 
passage  for  himself,  and  then  went  on  faster  than  ever. 

As  soon  as  the  girl  saw  him  coming  she  threw 
back  another  egg,  and  there  rose  a  brick  wall  so 
lofty  the  ogre  could  not  climb  over  it,  and  he  had 
to  go  home  for  a  heavy  hammer  with  which  to 
break  the  wall  down.  But  after  a  time  he  returned 
and  smashed  his  way  through,  and  then  went  on 
faster  than  ever. 

The  girl  heard  him  coming  and  threw  back  another 
egg,  and  behind  her  burned  a  long  line  of  fire,  and 
the  ogre  had  to  go  home  for  ajar  of  water  to  put 
out  the  fire.  After  a  time  he  returned  and  with 
the  water,  quenched  the  fire,  and  then  went  on  faster 
than  ever. 

When  the  girl  heard  him  coming  she  threw  her 
last  egg ;  but  in  her  haste  she  made  a  misthrow, 
and  the  egg,  instead  of  falling  behind  her,  fell  in 
front  of  her,  and  'immediately  she  found  herself  on 
the  bank  of  a  broad  river  that  shut  off  farther 
flight.  However,  close  by  the  shore  she  saw  a  big 


104  THE    OGRE'S   WIFE 

crocodile  warming  itself  in  the  sun,  and  the  girl 
said,  "  Grandmother,  I  pray  you,  cross  me  over. 
Grandmother,  I  pray  you,  save  my  life." 

The  crocodile  replied,  "  Sit  down  on  my  back 
and  I  will  cross  you  over." 

So  the  girl  sat  down  on  the  broad  back  of  the 
crocodile  and  it  swam  swiftly  out  into  the  stream 
away  from  the  ogre,  and  she  escaped  to  the  other  side. 
Then  the  crocodile  swam  back,  and  the  ogre  said, 
"  Cross  me  over,  crocodile  ;  cross  me  over,  too." 

The  crocodile  replied,  "  Very  well,  sit  down  on 
my  back." 

The  ogre  sat  down  on  the  crocodile's  back,  and 
the  crocodile  swam  toward  the  other  shore,  but 
when  it  reached  the  middle  of  the  river  it  dived 
under  the  water  and  the  ogre  was  drowned. 

The  girl  had  been  carried  safely  over,  and  she 
climbed  the  bank  and  found  an  old  black  horse 
feeding  in  a  pasture,  and  she  said  to  it,  "  I  pray 
you,  horse,  save  my  life." 

"  Well,"  said  the  horse,  "  get  up  on  my  back  and 
I  will  carry  you  to  your  mother." 

So  the  girl  mounted  the  old  black  horse,  and  the 
horse  carried  her  safely  to  her  mother's  house,  and 
there  she  is  still. 


When  the  crocodile  reached  the  middle  of  the  river  he  dived 


THE    FOX    AND   THE    LITTLE 
RED    HEN 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  little  red 
hen  which  lived  in  the  edge  of  a  piece  of 
woodland. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  woods  dwelt  a  cunning 
robber  fox  with  his  mother,  and  one  day  the  robber 
fox  said,  "  Mother,  you  make  a  fire  and  get  the 
pot  boiling,  for  I  'm  going  to  catch  the  little  red 
hen  and  we  '11  cook  her  as  soon  as  I  come  back  and 
have  her  for  dinner." 

So  he  slung  a  bag  over  his  shoulder,  and  started 
for  the  little  red  hen's  house. 

The  little  red  hen  never  suspected  any  danger, 
and  she  did  her  morning  work  as  usual,  and  then 
looked  at  her  clock  to  see  what  time  it  was.  "  Well," 
said  she,  "  now  I  must  begin  to  get  dinner,  and  the 
first  thing  I  '11  do  is  to  step  out  into  the  yard  for  a 
few  chips  to  make  my  fire  burn  more  briskly." 

So  out  she  went,  and  while  she  was  filling  her 
apron  with  the  chips  the  fox  came  along  and 


108       THE   FOX   AND    THE   LITTLE   RED    HEN 

slipped  into  the  house  without  her  seeing  him,  and 
hid  behind  the  door.  "  I  '11  catch  her  easily  enough, 
now,"  said  he. 

Pretty  soon  the  little  red  hen  went  in  and  was 
just  going  to  shut  and  lock  the  door  when  she  saw 
the  fox.  Then  she  was  so  frightened  that  she 
dropped  all  her  chips  and  flew  up  to  a  peg  in  the 
wall. 

"Ha,  ha!"  laughed  the  robber  fox,  "it  won't 
take  me  long  to  bring  you  down  from  there ; " 
and  he  began  running  round  and  round  after  his 
tail. 

The  little  red  hen  kept  turning  about  on  the  peg 
to  watch  him,  and  in  a  few  minutes  she  got  so 
dizzy  that  she  fell  off. 

Then  the  fox  picked  her  up,  and  put  her  in  his 
bag,  and  started  for  home  feeling  very  smart.  But 
he  grew  tired  by  and  by  and  sat  down  to  rest ;  and 
the  little  red  hen  began  to  wonder  if  she  could 
contrive  to  escape.  She  did  not  want  to  be  eaten, 
and  she  thought  and  thought  until  she  happened  to 
think  that  she  had  her  scissors  in  her  pocket.  She 
did  not  waste  any  more  time,  but  took  the  scissors 
and  snipped  a  hole  in  the  bag  and  jumped  out. 

The  ground  just  there  was  strewn  with  stones, 
and  the  little  red  hen  picked  up  several  as  large  as 


THE   FOX   AND   THE   LITTLE    RED   HEN        109 

she  could  lift  and  put  them  in  the  bag  in  her  place. 
Then  she  ran  home  as  fast  as  she  could  go. 

After   a   while    the    fox   got   up    and    went   on. 
"  How  heavy  this  little  hen  is  ! "  he  said  to  himself. 


"  She  must  be  very  plump  and  fat.  Ah  !  won't 
she  make  a  good  dinner ! "  and  he  smacked  his  lips 
to  think  of  how  nice  she  would  taste. 

When  he  came  in  sight  of  his  house  he  saw  his 
mother  standing  in  the  doorway  watching  for  him, 
and  he  called  out,  "  Hi,  mother,  have  you  got  the 
pot  boiling?  " 

"  Yes,  yes,"  his  mother  replied ;  "  and  have  you 
got  the  little  red  hen?" 


110      THE    FOX   AND    THE   LITTLE    RED    HEN 

"  She  's  here  in  this  bag  I  have  on  my  shoulder," 
was  his  answer,  "and  she'll  make  a  fine  dinner." 

He  was  soon  at  the  house  and  he  and  his  mother 
went  inside.  "  Now,"  said  he,  "  when  I  count 
three  you  take  the  cover  off  the  pot  and  I  '11  pop 
the  little  red  hen  right  into  the  hot  water." 

"Very  well,"  said  his  mother. 

"  All  ready  !  "  said  the  fox,  "  one,  two,  three  !  " 

His  mother  took  the  cover  off,  and  splash  went 
the  stones  into  the  boiling  water,  and  the  pot  tipped 
over  and  scalded  the  robber  fox  and  his  mother 
to  death. 

But  the  little  red  hen  lives  in  the  woods  by 
herself  yet. 


THE    HOBYAHS 


ONCE   there   was   an   old   man  and    an    old 
woman  and  a  little  girl,  and  they  all  lived 
together  in  a  house  made  of  hempstalks, 
and  they  had  a  little  dog  named  Turpie. 

One  night  the  Hob- 
yahs     came 
and      said, 
"Hobyah! 
Hobyah! 

Hobyah  !     Tear  down  the  hempstalks,  eat  up  the 
old  man  and  woman,  and  carry  off  the  little  girl ! " 

But  little  dog  Turpie  barked  so  that  the  Hobyahs 
all   ran  off;    and   the  old    man  said,  "  Little    dog 


Turpie  barks  so  that  I  cannot  sleep  nor  slumber, 
and  if  I  live  till  morning  I  will  sell  him." 


112 


THE   HOBYAHS 


So  when  it  was  morning  the  old  man  took  little 
dog  Turpie  and  was  gone  all  day  trying  to  sell 
him.  "You  can  have  him  for  four  shillings,"  said 
he  to  every  person  he  met;  but  no  one  would  buy 
him.  Some  did  not  want  a  dog,  others  lacked 
money,  and  the  old  man  had  to  bring  little  dog 

Turpie  back  home. 
That  night 
the  Hobyahs 
came  again 
and    said, 

"Hobyah!  Hobyah !  Hobyah !  Tear  down  the 
hempstalks,  eat  up  the  old  man  and  woman,  and 
carry  off  the  little  girl." 

But  little  dog  Turpie  barked  so  that  the  Hobyahs 
all  ran  off;  and  the  old  man  said,  "  Little  dog 


Turpie  barks  so  that  I  cannot  sleep  nor  slumber, 
and  if  I  live  till  morning  I  will  sell  him." 

So  when  it  was  morning  the  old  man  took  little 
dog  Turpie  and  was  gone  all  day  trying  to  sell  him. 
"  You  can  have  him  for  three  shillings,"  said  he  to 


THE    HOBYAHS 


every  person  he  met;  but  no  one  would  buy  him. 
Some  did  not  want  a  dog,  and  others  did  not  have 
the  three  shillings.  The  only  man  who  wanted  a 
dog  and  had  the  money  refused  to  buy  when  he 
learned  that  the  reason  why  Turpie' s  master  wished 
to  sell  him  was  because  he  barked  so ;  and  the  old 
man  had  to  bring  little  dog  Turpie  back  home. 

That  night   the 
H  o  b  y  a  h  s 
came    again 
and    said, 
"Hobyah! 

Hobyah  !  Hobyah  !  Tear  down  the  hempstalks, 
eat  up  the  old  man  and  woman,  and  carry  off  the 
little  girl!" 

But  little  dog  Turpie  barked  so  that  the  Hobyahs 
all    ran   off;    and    the  old  man   said,  "  Little  dog 


Turpie  barks  so  that  I  cannot  sleep  nor  slumber, 
and  if  I  live  till  morning  I  will  sell  him." 

So  when  it  was  morning  the  old  man  took  little 
dog  Turpie  and  was  gone  all  day  trying  to  sell  him. 


THE   HOBYAHS 


"You  can  have  him  for  two  shillings,"  said  he  to 
every  person  he  met;  but  no  one  would  buy  him, 
and  the  old  man  had  to  bring  little  dog  Turpie 

back  home. 

That  night 
the  Hobyahs 
came  again 
and   said, 

"  Hobyah  !  Hobyah  !  Hobyah  !  Tear  down  the 
hempstalks,  eat  up  the  old  man  and  woman,  and 
carry  off  the  little  girl  ! " 

But  little  dog  Turpie  barked  so  that  the  Hob- 
yahs all  ran  off;  and  the  old  man  said,  "  Little  dog 


Turpie  barks  so  that  I   cannot  sleep  nor  slumber, 
and  if  I  live  till  morning  I  will  sell  him!" 

So  when  it  was  morning  the  old  man  took  little 
dog  Turpie  and  was  gone  all  day  trying  to  sell  him. 
"You  may  have  him  for  one  shilling,"  said  he  to 
every  person  he  met ;  but  no  one  would  buy  him, 
and  the  old  man  had  to  bring  little  dog  Turpie 
back  home. 


THE    HOBYAHS 


That    night    the 
H  o  b  y  a  h  s 
came    again 
and    said, 
"Hobyah! 

Hobyah!  Hobyah!  Tear  down  the  hempstalks, 
eat  up  the  old  man  and  woman,  and  carry  off  the 
little  girl !  " 

But  little  dog  Turpie  barked  so  that  the  Hobyahs 
all    ran   off;    and    the  old  man   said,   "  Little  dog 


Turpie  barks  so  that  I  cannot  sleep  nor  slumber, 
and  if  I  live  till  morning  I  will  give  little  dog 
Turpie  away." 

So  when  it  was  morning  the  old  man  took  little 
dog  Turpie,  and  he  was  not  gone  long  before  he 
gave  little  dog  Turpie  away,  and  he  returned 

without  him. 

That  night 
the  Hobyahs 
came  again 
and    said, 


Il6  THE    HOBYAHS 

"  Hobyah  !  Hobyah  !  Hobyah  !  Tear  down  the 
hempstalks,  eat  up  the  old  man  and  woman,  and 
carry  off  the  little  girl ! " 

There  was  no  little  dog  Turpie  to  bark  this  time, 
and  the  Hobyahs  tore  down  the  hempstalks,  ate  up 
the  old  man  and  woman,  and  carried  the  little  girl 
off  in  a  bag. 

And  when  the  Hobyahs  came  to  where  they 

lived  among  the 
rocks  in  the  forest 
they  set  the  bag 
down  with  the 
little  girl  in  it, 
and  every  Hobyah  knocked  on  the  top  of  the  bag, 
and  said,  "  Look  me  !  look  me  !  " 

Then  they  crawled  into  the  holes  among  the  rocks 
and  went  to  sleep,  for  the  Hobyahs  slept  in  the 
daytime. 

The  little  girl  cried  a  great  deal,  and  a  man  with 
a  big  dog  came  that  way  and  he  heard  her  crying. 
So  he  opened  the  bag  and  asked  her  how  she  came 
there,  and  she  told  him.  Then  he  put  the  dog 
in  the  bag  and  took  the  little  girl  to  his  home. 

That  night  the  Hobyahs  went  to  the  bag  and 
knocked  on  the  top  of  it  and  said,  "  Look  me  ! 
look  me!" 


THE   HOBYAHS 


Iiy 


But  when  they  opened  the  bag  the  big  dog 
jumped  out  and  ate  them  all  up;  so  there  are  no 
Hobyahs  now. 


THE    THREE    BEARS 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  little  girl 
named  Golden  Hair,  and  she  lived  near  a 
forest-covered  mountain.  Many  pretty 
flowers  grew  in  the  woods  on  the  mountain-side, 
and  Golden  Hair  liked  to  gather  them.  Usually 
she  did  not  go  far  from  home  after  the  flowers,  but 
one  day  she  rambled  on  and  on,  picking  blossoms 
here  and  there,  until  she  was  much  deeper  in  the 
woods  than  she  had  ever  been  before. 

"  Now  I  must  go  back,'*  said  Golden  Hair  at 
last.  "  I  did  n't  intend  to  come  such  a  long  way 
and  I  'm  tired  and  hungry." 

Just  then  she  looked  on  ahead  up  the  lonely 
hollow  into  which  she  had  wandered,  and  there 
among  the  trees  was  as  nice  a  little  house  as  she 
had  ever  seen. 

"  I  did  n't  know  any  one  lived  here  in  the  woods," 
said  Golden  Hair.  "  I  will  go  and  find  out  whose 
house  it  is." 

So  she  ran  up  to  the  door  and  rapped,  but  she 
got  no  response. 


THE   THREE    BEARS  119 

"Well,"  said  she,  "the  people  that,  belong  to 
this  house  can't  be  far  away,  for  I  saw  smoke 
coming  out  of  the  chimney.  I  suppose  I  might 
step  in  if  the  door  is  n't  locked." 

She  lifted  the  latch,  and  the  door  was  not 
locked,  and  she  went  in  and  looked  about.  The 
room  in  which  she  found  herself  was  the  kitchen, 
and  a  fire  was  burning  in  the  fireplace,  and  on 
a  table  were  three  bowls  of  porridge  —  a  big 
bowl,  and  a  middle-sized  bowl,  and  a  little  bowl. 

"  The  people  that  live  here  have  set  the  table  for 
dinner,  I  think,"  said  Golden  Hair.  "  Oh,  how 
hungry  I  am  !  I  wonder  if  they  would  care  if  I  ate 
some  of  their  porridge  without  waiting  till  they 
came  back.  I  will  taste,  anyway." 

So  she  went  to  the  table  and  took  a  spoonful  of 
porridge  from  the  big  bowl. 

"  This  is  too  hot,"  she  said.    "  I  will  try  the  next." 

Then  she  took  a  spoonful  of  porridge  from  the 
middle-sized  bowl. 

"  This  is  not  so  hot  as  the  other,"  said  she,  "  but 
it  is  hotter  than  I  like.  I  will  try  the  next." 

Then  she  took  a  spoonful  of  porridge  from 
the  little  bowl,  and  that  was  just  right  and  she  ate 
it  all. 

"  Now,  I  wish  I  could  sit  down  to  rest  for  a  while 


120  THE   THREE   BEARS 

in  a  good  easy  chair,"  said  Golden  Hair.  "  They 
would  have  their  easy  chairs  in  the  parlor,  I  sup- 
pose. I  will  look  in  and  see." 

So  she  went  into  the  parlor  and  there  she  found 
three  nice  rocking-chairs,  —  a  big  chair,  and  a 
middle-sized  chair,  and  a  little  chair.  She  tried  the 
big  chair,  but  it  was  too  high. 

"  Dear  me ! "  said  Golden  Hair,  "  I  can't  touch 
my  feet  to  the  floor.  I  don't  like  this  chair,  I  will 
try  the  next/' 

Then  she  tried  the  middle-sized  chair.  She  could 
touch  her  feet  to  the  floor  in  that,  but  it  was  too 
high  for  her  to  feel  entirely  comfortable,  and  she 
tried  the  little  chair.  That  was  just  right,  and  she 
began  rocking  back  and  forth  in  it,  when  crack ! 
smash  !  the  chair  broke  and  Golden  Hair  tumbled 
to  the  floor. 

"  That  was  a  nice  little  chair,"  she  said  as  she 
picked  herself  up.  "  I  'm  sorry  it  is  broken.  I 
was  having  such  a  good  rest  in  it,  too  !  I  don't 
care  for  the  other  chairs,  and  I  think  I  would  like 
to  lie  down  and  have  a  nap.  I  must  see  where  the 
beds  are." 

So  she  went  upstairs  and  into  a  chamber,  and 
there  she  found  three  beds  —  a  big  bed,  and  a 
middle-sized  bed,  and  a  little  bed.  She  tried  the 


THE   THREE   BEARS  121 

largest  bed,  and  it  was  too  hard.  Then  she  tried 
the  middle-sized  bed,  and  that  was  not  so  hard  as 
the  big  bed,  but  it  was  not  soft  enough  to  please 
Golden  Hair.  Then  she  tried  the  little  bed,  and 
that  was  just  right,  and  she  lay  down  on  it  and 
covered  herself  up  and  fell  fast  asleep. 

Now  the  house  that  Golden  Hair  was  in  belonged 
to  three  bears  —  a  big  bear,  a  middle-sized  bear,  and 
a  little  bear.  Shortly  before  Golden  Hair  rapped 
at  their  door  they  had  cooked  their  porridge  for 
dinner  and  set  it  on  the  table.  Then  they  had 
gone  out  for  a  little  walk  to  give  the  porridge  time 
to  cool.  While  Golden  Hair  was  asleep  the  bears 
came  home.  As  soon  as  they  entered  the  kitchen 
and  looked  at  the  table  they  saw  that  things  were 
not  as  they  had  left  them. 

"SOMEBODY  HAS  BEEN  TASTING 
MY  PORRIDGE  !  "  growled  the  big  bear  in  his 
great,  gruff  voice. 

"  AND  SOMEBODY  HAS  BEEN  TASTING  MY  POR- 
RIDGE !"  said  the  middle-sized  bear. 

"  And  somebody  has  been  tasting  my  porridge  and 
eaten  it  all  up  !  "  piped  the  little  bear. 

"We  will  look  around,"  said  they,  "  and  see  if 
there  has  been  any  more  meddling." 

Then  they  went  into  the  parlor. 


122  THE   THREE    BEARS 

"SOMEBODY  HAS  BEEN  SITTING  IN 
MY  CHAIR!"  growled  the  big  bear  in  his 
great,  gruff  voice. 


<fAND      SOMEBODY      HAS      BEEN      SITTING      IN      MY 

CHAIR  ! "  said  the  middle-sized  bear. 

"  And  somebody  has  been  sitting  in  my   chair  and 
broken  it  all  to  pieces,"  piped  the  little  bear. 

Then  they  went  upstairs  to  the  chamber. 


THE   THREE   BEARS  123 

"SOMEBODY    HAS  BEEN   TUMBLING 

MY  BED  !  "  growled  the  big  bear  in  his  great, 
gruff  voice. 

"AND  SOMEBODY  HAS  BEEN  TUMBLING  MY 
BED  ! "  said  the  middle-sized  bear. 

"  And  somebody  has  been  tumbling  my  bed,  and  here 
she  is  I  "  piped  the  little  bear. 

Golden  Hair  waked  up  just  then,  and  before  the 
three  bears  could  catch  her  she  slipped  from  the  bed 
and  scrambled  down  the  stairs  and  out  at  the  door. 
Then  she  ran  home  as  fast  as  her  legs  could  carry 
her,  and  she  never  went  near  the  three  bears'  house 
again. 


TOM-TIT-TOT 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  woman  who 
baked  five  pies.  But  she  left  them  in 
the  oven  too  long,  and  when  she  took 
them  out  the  crusts  were  so  hard  that  she  said  to 
her  daughter,  "  Put  these  pies  on  a  shelf  in  the 
pantry  and  leave  them  there,  and  they  '11  come 
again." 

She  meant  that  the  crusts  would  get  soft  presently, 
but  that  was  not  the  way  her  daughter  understood 
her ;  and  the  girl  said  to  herself,  "  Well,  if  the  pies 
will  come  again  I  '11  eat  them  right  now." 

So  she  ate  all  the  five  pies.  By  and  by  it  was 
supper-time,  and  the  woman  said,  "  Daughter,  go 
you  and  get  one  of  those  pies.  I  dare  say  they  've 
come  again  now." 

The  girl  went  into  the  pantry  and  looked,  and 
there  was  nothing  but  the  dishes.  So  back  she 
came  and  said,  "  No,  they  're  not  come  again." 

"  Not  one  of  them  ?  "  asked  the  mother. 


TOM-TIT-TOT  125 

"  Not  one  of  them/'  replied  the  girl. 

"Well,"  said  the  woman,  "1*11  have  one  for 
supper  anyway." 

"  But  you  can't  if  none  of  them  are  come,"  said 
the  girl. 

"  But  I  can,"  said  the  mother.  "  Go  you  and 
bring  the  best  one." 

"  Best  or  worst,"  said  the  girl,  "  I  Ve  eaten  them 
all,  and  I  can't  bring  you  one  until  one  is  come 
again." 

Then  the  woman  said  no  more,  and  after  she  had 
finished  her  supper  she  took  her  spinning  to  the 
door,  and  as  she  spun  she  sang, 

"  My  daughter  has  eaten  five,  five  pies  to-day. 
My  daughter  has  eaten  five,  five  pies  to-day." 

The  king  was  coming  down  the  street,  and  he 
heard  her  sing ;  but  he  did  not  catch  the  words. 
So  he  stopped  and  said,  "  What  was  that  you  were 
singing,  my  good  woman  ?  " 

The  woman  was  ashamed  to  let  him  know  what 
her  daughter  had  been  doing,  and  in  replying  she 
changed  her  song  to  — 

"  My  daughter  has  spun  five,  five  skeins  to-day. 
My  daughter  has  spun  five,  five  skeins  to-day." 

"  Stars  of  mine  !  "  exclaimed  the  king,  "  I  never 


126  TOM-TIT-TOT 

heard  tell  of  any  one  who  could  do  that.  Such 
talent  is  worth  having." 

Then  he  said,  "  Look  you  here,  I  want  a  wife 
and  I  '11  marry  your  daughter ;  and  for  eleven 
months  she  shall  have  all  she  likes  to  eat,  and  all 
the  gowns  she  likes  to  get,  and  all  the  company 
she  likes  to  see.  But  the  twelfth  month  she'll 
have  to  spin  five  skeins  every  day  or  back  I  '11 
send  her  to  you." 

"All  right,"  said  the  woman,  for  she  thought 
what  a  grand  marriage  her  daughter  would  be  mak- 
ing; and  as  for  the  five  skeins,  the  king  would 
very  likely  have  forgotten  all  about  them  by  the 
end  of  eleven  months. 

So  the  king  married  the  woman's  daughter,  and 
the  girl  had  all  she  liked  to  eat,  and  all  the  gowns 
she  liked  to  wear,  and  all  the  company  she  liked  to 
see.  But  when  the  eleven  months  were  nearly  over 
she  began  to  think  about  the  skeins  and  to  wonder 
if  the  king  had  them  in  mind.  Time  went  on, 
and  not  one  word  did  he  say  about  the  skeins  until 
the  first  day  of  the  twelfth  month.  Then,  early 
in  the  morning,  he  took  her  into  a  room  she 
had  never  set  eyes  on  before.  There  was  noth- 
ing in  it  but  a  spinning-wheel  and  a  stool  and  a 
bed. 


TOM-TIT-TOT  127 

"  Now,  my  dear/'  said  the  king,  "  I  '11  have  some 
flax  and  some  food  sent  you  at  once,  and  here 
you'll  be  shut  in,  and  if  you  haven't  spun  five 
skeins  by  night,  back  you  '11  go  to  your  mother." 

Then  the  servants  brought  in  flax  and  food 
enough  to  last  for  the  day,  and  the  king  went  off 
about  his  business.  The  queen  was  very  much 
frightened,  for  she  had  never  learned  how  to  spin, 
and  what  was  she  to  do  with  no  one  to  come  near 
her  to  help  ?  She  sat  down  and  cried,  but  pretty 
soon  she  heard  a  soft  rapping  on  the  window.  So 
she  opened  the  window,  and  there  on  the  ledge 
stood  a  queer  little  black  man.  He  looked  up  at 
her  and  said,  "  What  are  you  a-crying  for  ?  " 

"  Why  do  you  ask  ? "  said  she. 

"  Never  you  mind,"  was  his  answer ;  "  but  tell 
me  what  you  are  a-crying  for." 

"  It  would  do  me  no  good  if  I  did  tell  you," 
she  said. 

"  You  don't  know  that,"  said  the  little  man. 

"  Well,"  said  she,  "  it  can  do  no  harm,  anyway  ;  " 
and  she  told  him  all  about  the  pies  and  the  five 
skeins  and  everything. 

"  Then  you  think  it 's  likely  you  won't  be  queen 
much  longer,  I  suppose,"  said  the  little  man  when 
she  finished.  "But  listen  —  this  is  what  I'll  do. 


128  TOM-TIT-TOT 

Every  morning  I  '11  come  to  your  window  and  take 
the  flax  and  bring  it  spun  at  night." 

"  And  what  do  you  expect  me  to  pay  you  ?  " 
she  asked. 

The  little  black  man  looked  out  of  the  corners 
of  his  eyes  and  replied,  "  I  will  give  you  three 
guesses  every  night  to  guess  my  name ,  and  if  you 
have  n't  guessed  it  before  the  month  is  up,  you 
shall  be  mine." 

"  I  agree,"  said  she ;  for  she  thought  she  would 
be  sure  to  guess  his  name  by  the  end  of  the  month. 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  little  man,  and  he  took 
the  flax  and  went  away. 

The  day  passed  and  evening  came.  Then  there 
was  a  knocking  at  the  window,  and  when  the 
window  was  opened  the  little  black  man  stepped 
in  with  five  skeins  of  flaxen  thread  on  his 
arm.  "  Here  it  is,"  said  he,  "  and  now  what 's  my 
name  ? " 

"  Is  your  name  Bill?  "  said  she. 

"  No,  it  is  n't,"  said  he. 

"Is  it  Ned?"  said  she. 

"  No,  it  is  n't,"  said  he. 

"Well,  is  it  Joe?"  said  she. 

"  No,  it  is  n't,"  said  he,  and  then  he  laughed  and 
winked  and  scurried  out  of  the  window. 


TOM-TIT-TOT  129 

When  the  king  came  in  he  found  the  five  skeins 
ready  for  him.  "  I  see  I  sha'n't  have  to  send  you 
back  to  your  mother  to-night,"  said  he.  "You 
have  done  very  well,  and  I  will  have  more  food 
and  flax  brought  to  you  in  the  morning." 

So  saying,  he  locked  the  door  and  went  away. 
The  days  which  followed  were  just  like  the  first. 
Every  morning  a  new  supply  of  flax  and  food  was 
left  in  the  room,  and  the  little  black  imp  came 
regularly  to  get  the  flax  and  bring  the  skeins,  and 
from  sunrise  to  sunset  the  girl  sat  trying  to  think 
of  names  for  him.  But  she  could  never  seem  to  hit 
the  right  one.  The  end  of  the  month  got  nearer 
and  nearer,  until  the  last  day  but  one  had  come. 
The  imp  brought  the  five  skeins  at  night  as  usual 
and  said,"  Well,  have  you  guessed  my  name  yet?  " 

"  Is  it  Nicodemus  ?  "  said  she. 

"  No,  it  is  n't,"  said  he. 

"  Is  it  Elijah  ?  "  said  she. 

"  No,  it  is  n't,"  said  he. 

"  Is  it  Methuselah  ?  "  said  she. 

"  No,  it  is  n't,"  said  he. 

Then  he  looked  at  her  with  his  eyes  glowing 
like  coals  of  fire,  and  he  said,  "  Woman,  there 's 
only  to-morrow  night,  and  then  you  '11  be  mine ; " 
and  out  he  went  through  the  window. 

9 


130  TOM-TIT-TOT 

The  little  man  had  hardly  gone  when  the  queen 
heard  the  king  coming  along  the  passage.  In  he 
walked,  and  he  glanced  at  the  five  skeins  and  said, 
"  Well,  my  dear,  it  seems  to  be  pretty  certain  now 
that  I  sha'n't  have  to  send  you  back  to  your 
mother,  and  I  'm  going  to  eat  my  supper  in  here 
with  you  to-night." 

Pretty  soon  the  servants  brought  in  dishes  and 
food  and  another  stool,  and  the  two  sat  down  and 
ate.  But  the  king  had  only  taken  three  or  four 
mouthfuls  when  he  stopped  and  began  to  laugh. 

"  What  is  there  to  laugh  about  ?  "  asked  the  queen. 

"  Why,"  said  he,  "  I  was  out  hunting  to-day, 
and  as  I  was  climbing  a  high  hill  among  the  forest 
trees  I  heard  a  sort  of  humming  sound.  So  I  got 
off  my  horse  and  I  went  along  very  softly  and  soon 
I  came  in  sight  of  a  little  hut,  and  before  the  hut 
burned  a  fire,  and  beside  the  fire  sat  the  funniest 
little  black  imp  that  ever  was ;  and  he  had  a  tiny 
spinning  wheel  on  which  he  was  spinning  like  mad ; 
and  as  he  spun  he  sang, 

'  Nimmy,  nimmy  not, 
My  name's  Tom-Tit-Tot.'  " 

When  the  girl  heard  the  king  repeat  these  words 
she  wanted  to  jump  up  and  clap  her  hands,  but  she 
never  stirred  or  said  a  word. 


TOM-TIT-TOT  IJI 

The  next  day  the  little  man  got  the  flax  at  the 
accustomed  time,  and  in  the  evening  he  was  back 
with  it  nicely  spun  in  five  handsome  skeins.  He 


knocked  at  the  window-panes,  and  when  the  queen 
let  him  in  he  was  grinning  from  ear  to  ear.  "  What 's 
my  name  ? "  he  said  as  he  gave  her  the  skeins. 

"  Is  it  Spindleshanks  ?  "  said  she. 

"  No,  it  is  n't,"  said  he. 


132  TOM-TIT-TOT 

"  Is  it  Cowribs  ?  "  said  she. 

"No,  it  isn't,"  said  he,  and  he  laughed  loud  and 
long.  "Take  time,  woman,"  he  advised.  "Next 
guess  and  you  are  mine,  ha !  ha !  ha ! "  and  he 
stretched  out  his  black  arms  toward  her. 

But  the   queen  pointed    her   finger  at  him  and 

said, 

"  Nimmy,  nimmy  not, 

Your  name  's  Tom-Tit-Tot.5 ' 

At  that  the  little  black  man  gave  an  awful  shriek. 
"  Some  witch  told  you  !  Some  witch  told  you  ! "  he 
cried.  Then  he  dashed  out  of  the  window  into  the 
dark  and  she  never  saw  him  any  more. 


THE    KING   OF    THE    GOLDEN 
MOUNTAIN 

A  CERTAIN  merchant  sent  two  richly  laden 
ships  on  a  voyage.  He  invested  all  his 
property  in  them,  and  he  hoped  to  make 
great  gains ;  but  the  ships  were  wrecked,  and  the 
merchant  was  reduced  from  wealth  to  poverty  and 
had  to  live  in  a  poor  little  cottage. 

One  day,  as  he  was  walking  along  by  the  sea- 
shore thinking  sadly  of  his  future,  a  rough-looking 
dwarf  stood  before  him  and  asked  why  he  was  so 
sorrowful. 

"  I  would  tell  you/'  said  the  merchant,  "  if  it 
would  do  any  good." 

"  Who  knows  but  that  it  may  ? "  said  the  little 
man.  "  Tell  me  your  troubles  and  perhaps  I  can 
be  of  some  service." 

Then  the  merchant  related  how  all  his  wealth 
had  gone  to  the"  bottom  of  the  sea. 

"  Oh,  well,  don't  mourn  any  longer  about  that," 
said  the  dwarf.  "  Only  promise  that  twelve  years 


IJ4     THE   KING   OF  THE   GOLDEN   MOUNTAIN 

hence  you  will  bring  to  me  here  whatever  meets 
you  first  on  your  return  home,  and  I  will  see  that 
you  shall  never  want  for  gold/* 

The  merchant  promised  and  thought  he  had 
the  best  of  the  bargain ;.  but  when  he  approached 
his  home,  who  should  come  running  to  meet  him 
but  his  little  boy.  The  merchant  was  greatly 
distressed  to  think  that  he  had  bound  himself  to 
give  his  boy  to  the  dwarf.  "  Very  likely,  though, 
the  dwarf  was  only  joking/'  said  he ;  "  for  I  see  no 
sign  of  that  gold  he  told  me  I  was  to  have." 

A  few  days  afterward  the  merchant  was  cleaning 
out  an  old  lumber-room,  and  under  a  heap  of 
rubbish  in  a  corner  he  found  a  box  full  of  gold 
pieces.  Then  he  was  fearful  that  the  dwarf  was 
in  earnest.  However,  there  was  the  gold,  and  what 
was  he  to  do  with  it  P  He  concluded  to  go  into 
business  once  more,  and  he  was  not  long  in  be- 
coming richer  than  he  had  been  before. 

Time  went  on,  and  the  son  grew  up  and  the 
end  of  the  twelve  years  drew  near.  The  merchant 
was  very  anxious  now,  and  one  day  he  told  his  son 
about  his  promise  to  the  dwarf. 

"  Well,"  said  the  son,  "  I  would  not  worry ; 
perhaps  things  may  not  turn  out  as  badly  as  you 
think." 


The  merchant  begs  the  dwarf  not  to  take  bis  son  from  him 


THE    KING  OF   THE  GOLDEN   MOUNTAIN     137 

When  the  appointed  date  came  they  went  together 
to  the  sea-shore,  and  there  they  found  the  little 
dwarf.  The  merchant  begged  the  dwarf  not  to 
insist  on  taking  his  son  from  him,  and  they  argued 
for  a  long  time.  At  last  the  dwarf  said,  <c  I  will 
yield  up  my  rights  on  one  condition,  which  is  that 
your  son  shall  get  into  an  open  boat  and  be  set 
adrift  on  the  sea  without  sail  or  oars.'* 

"Oh,  cruel  dwarf!"  said  the  merchant.  "If  I 
must  choose  between  the  sea  and  you  I  choose  the 
sea." 

Then  the  dwarf  led  the  way  to  a  boat  that  was 
drawn  up  on  the  beach  near  where  they  had  been 
talking.  They  dragged  the  boat  to  the  water,  the 
son  got  in,  and  the  dwarf  pushed  it  off. 

The  merchant  hoped  his  son  would  drift  to 
shore,  but  the  wind  and  currents  carried  the  little 
boat  farther  and  farther  away  until  he  could  see  it 
no  longer.  Then  he  hoped  his  son  would  be 
rescued  by  some  vessel,  but  the  weeks  and  months 
slipped  away  without  his  hearing  anything  from  him, 
and  finally  he  gave  his  son  up  for  lost. 

However,  the  young  man  was  not  drowned  in 
the  sea  as  his  father  thought.  He  sat  securely  in 
the  little  boat,  and  it  rocked  along  over  the  waves 
until  it  was  wafted  to  the  shores  of  a  country  the 


IJ 8     THE   KING  OF   THE   GOLDEN   MOUNTAIN 

merchant's  son  had  never  before  seen.  Not  far 
from  where  he  came  to  land  was  a  lofty  mountain, 
and  the  color  of  the  mountain  was  yellow,  like  gold, 
and  on  its  summit  was  a  beautiful  castle. 

So  the  merchant's  son  walked  away  from  the 
sea  and  climbed  the  golden  mountain ;  but  when  he 
reached  the  castle  he  discovered  that  it  was  empty 
and  desolate,  for  it  was  enchanted.  He  went  all 
through  the  great  building  and  saw  not  a  living 
thing  till  he  entered  one  of  the  chambers  where  he 
found  a  white  snake ;  and  this  white  snake  spoke 
to  him. 

"  Oh,  how  glad  I  am  to  see  you  !  "  it  said.  "  I 
am  not  really  a  snake.  A  wicked  dwarf  has 
enchanted  me.  I  am  the  Queen  of  the  Golden 
Mountain.  Twelve  long  years  have  I  waited  for 
a  deliverer." 

"  If  you  will  tell  me  in  what  way  I  can  be  of 
service  to  you,"  said  the  merchant's  son,  "  I  will  do 
anything  I  can  to  disenchant  you." 

"  Then  listen  to  me,"  said  the  queen.  "  This 
night  twelve  black  men  will  come  and  they  will  ask 
you  why  you  are  here ;  but  be  silent.  Give  them 
no  answer.  Let  them  do  what  they  will,  even  if 
they  beat  and  torment  you.  Speak  not  a  word,  or 
you  cannot  save  me.  At  twelve  o'clock  they  will 


THE   KING   OF  THE   GOLDEN   MOUNTAIN     139 

go.  The  second  night  twelve  other  black  men  will 
come,  and  they  will  do  as  did  the  first  twelve.  The 
third  night  twelve  more  black  men  will  come  and 
they  will  try  their  worst  to  make  you  speak  ;  but 
if  you  withstand  them  till  the  twelfth  hour  of  that 
night  I  shall  be  free." 

"  Have  no  fear/'  replied  the  young  man  ;  "  your 
wishes  shall  be  obeyed." 

Everything  came  to  pass  as  the  queen  had  said, 
and  the  merchant's  son  was  threatened  and  beaten 
and  tormented.  Yet  he  spoke  not  a  word,  and  at 
twelve  o'clock  on  the  third  night  the  black  men 
hastened  away  howling  with  rage  and  disappoint- 
ment. Then  the  white  snake  became  a  beautiful 
young  queen.  The  castle,  too,  was  disenchanted 
and  was  all  that  the  home  of  a  queen  should 
be;  and  the  merchant's  son  fell  in  love  with  the 
queen,  and  she  fell  in  love  with  him.  So  it  was 
not  long  before  a  wedding  was  celebrated  in  the 
castle,  and  the  merchant's  son  became  the  King  of 
the  Golden  Mountain. 

Eight  years  passed,  and  then  the  king  said,  "  I 
must  go  to  visit  my  father.  In  all  the  years  I  have 
been  here  he  has  had  no  word  from  me,  and  he 
must  think  I  am  dead." 

"  No,  no,"  said  the  queen,  "  do  not  go." 


140     THE   KING   OF   THE   GOLDEN   MOUNTAIN 

But  the  king  grew  more  and  more  anxious  to 
return  to  his  father,  and  at  last  the  queen  consented. 
When  he  was  about  to  start  she  gave  him  a  wishing- 
ring,  and  said,  "  Take  this  ring  and  put  it  on  your 
finger.  You  have  but  to  turn  it  around  when  you 
wish  and  whatever  you  wish  for  will  be  granted. 
Only  promise  that  you  will  not  make  use  of  it  to 
bring  me  hence  to  your  father's." 

He  promised  what  she  asked  and  put  the  ring 
on  his  finger.  Then  he  wished  himself  near  the 
town  where  his  father  lived.  A  moment  later  he 
found  himself  at  the  town  gates ;  but  the  clothes  he 
wore  were  so  different  from  those  worn  by  the 
people  of  that  region  that  the  town  guards  were 
suspicious  and  would  not  let  him  in.  So  he  walked 
off  across  the  fields  trying  to  think  what  he  would 
do  next. 

Presently  he  came  to  a  shepherd's  hut.  "  I  will 
make  an  exchange  of  clothes  here,"  said  he,  and  he 
sought  out  the  shepherd  and  offered  him  a  golden 
guinea  for  some  of  his  old  garments. 

The  shepherd  was  very  glad  to  part  with  them 
at  that  price,  and  when  the  king  put  them  on  and 
left  his  own  fine  apparel  behind,  the  shepherd 
could  only  think  that  the  poor  man  had  lost  his 
wits. 


THE   KING   OF   THE   GOLDEN   MOUNTAIN     141 

The  king  now  went  back  to  the  town,  and,  in 
his  shepherd's  garb,  the  guards  supposed  him  to  be 
a  peasant  and  let  him  pass  without  question.  He 
hastened  to  his  father's  house,  and  told  the  merchant 
that  he  was  his  son. 

"  But  my  son  is  dead,  long  since,"  said  the 
merchant;  and  he  would  not  believe  it  possible  that 
this  ragged  fellow  was  his  son,  whom  he  had  seen 
disappear  eight  years  previous  in  the  little  boat. 

"  Is  there  no  mark  by  which  you  would  know 
if  I  am  really  your  son  ?  "  the  king  asked  at  length. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  merchant,  "  my  son  had  a 
mark  like  a  raspberry  on  the  under  side  of  his  right 
arm,  just  above  the  elbow." 

Then  the  king  pulled  up  the  sleeve  on  his  right 
arm  and  showed  the  mark,  and  the  merchant  was 
satisfied  that  the  young  man  was  his  son,  and  he 
listened  with  wonder  while  the  son  related  how  he 
had  married  a  queen  and  was  King  of  the  Golden 
Mountain. 

"  What !  "  cried  the  merchant,  "you  tell  me  you 
are  a  king  ?  That  cannot  be  true,  else  you  would 
not  be  travelling  about  in  a  shepherd's  frock." 

The  son  was  very  much  troubled  when  his  father 
did  not  believe  him.  "  I  will  prove  to  you  that  I 
speak  the  truth,"  said  he,  and  forgetting  his  promise 


142     THE   KING   OF   THE  GOLDEN    MOUNTAIN 

to  his  queen  he  turned  his  ring  and  wished  to  have 
her  there  with  him. 

Instantly  she  stood  before  him  in  her  royal  robes, 
and  the  merchant  could  not  doubt  longer  that  his 
son  was  King  of  the  Golden  Mountain  as  he  had 
said.  But  the  queen  wept  because  the  king  had 
broken  his  word.  She  stopped  crying  presently, 
yet  she  did  not  forget  his  broken  promise,  and  that 
night  while  he  was  asleep  she  drew  the  ring  from  his 
finger  and  wished  herself  at  home  in  her  kingdom. 
When  the  king  awoke  he  was  alone,  and  the  ring 
was  gone  from  his  finger.  He  was  very  sorrow- 
ful then,  and  he  said,  "  I  will  journey  forth  into 
the  world  and  perhaps  I  can  find  my  kingdom 
again." 

So  saying,  he  set  out  and  travelled  for  many  days. 
At  last  he  came  near  to  a  hill  on  the  top  of  which 
he  heard  loud  and  angry  voices.  "  I  must  find 
out  what  is  going  on  here,"  said  the  king,  and 
he  climbed  the  hill  and  crept  along  till  he  was 
near  enough  to  see  that  two  giants  were  disput- 
ing over  the  possession  of  a  cloak  and  a  pair  of 
boots. 

He  listened  and  learned  that  the  cloak  made  its 
wearer  invisible,  and  that  the  boots  carried  the 
person  who  put  them  on  wherever  he  wished  to 


THE   KING   OF   THE   GOLDEN    MOUNTAIN     143 

go.     The  giants  began  a  desperate  struggle,  when 
one  of  them  said,  "  Why  should  we  kill  each  other  ? 


Let    us    bury    the    things    that    make   the    trouble 

between   us   right  here  and   have   no   more   to   do 

with  them." 

"Yes,"  said  the  other,  "let  us  bury  them/' 

So  they  scraped  a  hole  in  the  dirt,  threw  in  the 

cloak  and  boots,  covered  them   up   and  went  off. 


144     THE   KING   OF   THE   GOLDEN   MOUNTAIN 

Then  the  king  ran  to  the  spot  where  the  cloak  and 
boots  were  buried  and  dug  them  up,  and  when  he 
had  shaken  the  dirt  out  of  them  he  put  them  on. 
They  fitted  perfectly,  for  they  were  magic  garments 
that  increased  or  decreased  in  size  to  suit  the 
stature  of  the  wearer.  "  Now,"  said  he,  "  I  wish  I 
was  back  at  the  Golden  Mountain." 

He  was  there  at  once;  but  no  one  knew  he  had 
come  because  the  cloak  he  had  on  made  him  in- 
visible. He  found  the  queen  very  melancholy  on 
account  of  her  long  separation  from  him.  u  I  would 
wish  him  back,"  said  she,  looking  at  the  ring  on 
her-  finger,  "  if  he  had  not  broken  his  promise." 

This  she  said  again  and  again,  and  at  length  the 
tears  gathered  in  her  eyes  and  she  said,  "  I  cannot 
bear  to  have  him  away  any  longer,"  and  she  turned 
the  ring  and  said,  "  I  wish  he  was  here." 

But  the  king  was  already  there,  only  she  could 
not  see  him.  She  looked  about  disappointed. 
"  Can  it  be  that  the  magic  is  gone  from  my  ring  ? " 
she  exclaimed.  cc  I  will  try  again." 

She  turned  the  ring  once  more  and  this  time  she 
said,  "  I  wish  to  be  carried  to  the  king." 

As  the  king  was  in  the  same  room  there  was 
nothing  for  the  ring  to  do,  and  she  remained  just 
where  she  was.  Then  the  king  took  pity  on  her 


THE   KING   OF   THE   GOLDEN   MOUNTAIN     145 

and  threw  off  the  cloak  he  was  wearing,  and  the 
queen  saw  him  and  they  ran  to  each  other's  arms. 
The  king  was  happy  and  the  queen  was  happy, 
and  they  lived  happily  together  on  the  Golden 
Mountain  ever  after. 


10 


LITTLE     RED     RIDING-HOOD 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  little  girl 
who  lived  in  a  village  near  a  forest,  and 
she  was  such  a  nice  little  girl  that  every 
one  was  very  fond  of  her.  When  she  went  any- 
where she  always  wore  a  little  red  riding-hood  her 
grandmother  had  given  her,  and  so  people  called 
her  "  Little  Red  Riding-Hood." 

One  day  her  mother,  who  had  just  made  some 
custards,  said  to  her,  "  My  dear,  you  shall  go  and 
see  how  your  grandmother  is ;  and  you  may  take 
her  a  custard  and  a  little  cake  of  butter.  I  will 
put  them  in  a  basket  that  you  can  carry  on  your 
arm." 

Little  Red  Riding-Hood  was  soon  on  the  way 
to  her  grandmother's  cottage,  which  was  in  the 
forest,  a  half  hour's  walk  from  the  village.  But 
she  had  not  gone  far  into  the  woods  when  she 
met  a  wolf. 

"  Good  day,  little  girl/'  said  the  wolf. 


LITTLE   RED    RIDING-HOOD  147 


He  was  very  polite,  though  at  the  same  time  he 
was  wishing  he  could  eat  her ;  and  that  is  what 
he  would  have  done  had  he  not  been  afraid  of 
some  wood-cutters  who  were  at  work  near  by. 


148  LITTLE   RED   RIDING-HOOD 

"  Where  are  you  going,  my  pretty  little  lady  ? "  he 
asked. 

"  I  am  going  to  see  my  grandmother/*  she  replied, 
"  and  I  am  taking  her  a  custard  and  a  cake  of  butter 
from  my  mother." 

"  And  where  does  she  live  ?  "  the  wolf  inquired. 

"  Oh,"  said  Little  Red  Riding-Hood,  "  you  keep 
right  along  this  road,  and  she  lives  in  the  first 
house." 

"  Well,  good  by,"  said  the  wolf.  "  I  'm  going 
to  be  passing  your  grandmother's  and  I  will  stop 
and  tell  her  you  are  coming  to  see  her." 

Then  the  wolf  ran  on,  and  when  he  arrived  at 
the  grandmother's  house  he  went  to  the  door  and 
knocked  —  tap,  tap  ! 

He  got  no  answer,  and  he  knocked  louder  — 
slam,  slam ! 

But  still  there  was  no  response,  and  after  a  minute 
he  stood  on  his  hind  legs  and  reached  up  one  of  his 
forepaws  to  the  latch  and  opened  the  door.  He 
found  not  a  soul  in  the  house ;  for  the  grandmother 
had  gone  to  market  in  the  town.  She  had  started 
early  and  had  left  her  bed  unmade  and  her  nightcap 
lying  on  the  pillow. 

"  I  know  what  I  '11  do,"  said  the  wolf;  and  after 
shutting  the  door  he  put  the  grandmother's  night- 


LITTLE    RED    RIDING-HOGto  149 


cap  on  his  head  and  lay  down  in  th/bjed  and  drew 

the  covers  up  over  himself. 

•  • 

Meanwhile  Little  Red  Riding-Hood  was  coming 

along  the  forest  road.  She  did  not  hurry.  Some- 
times she  stopped  to  pick  flowers,  and  sometimes 
she  paused  to  hear  the  biyra /singing  among  the 
trees.  But  presently  she  reached  her  grandmother's 
cottage  and  knocked  at  thq  d/or  —  tap,  tap  ! 

"Who  is  there?"  asked/the  wolf,  softening  his 
rough  voice  as  much  as  tye  could. 

"It's  me,  Granny  —  your  Little  Red  Riding- 
Hood,"  she  replied;  and  then  she  said,  "Are  you 
sick,  Granny  ?  Your  voice  is  very  hoarse." 

"  I  have  a  cold,"  answered  the  wolf,  "  and  I  am 
not  feeling  well  enough  to  get  up  to-day.  You  can 
press  your  finger  on  the  latch  and  come  in." 

So  Little  Red  Riding-Hood  pressed  her  finger 
on  the  latch  and  opened  the  door  and  went  in. 
"  I  have  brought  you  a  custard,  dear  Granny,"  said 
she,  "  and  a  cake  of  butter  from  my  mama,  and 
some  flowers  that  I  picked  in  the  forest." 

"  You  can  put  your  basket  on  the  table  and  take 
off  your  hood,"  said  the  wolf. 

Little  Red  Riding-Hood  put  the  basket  on 
the  table,  and  after  she  had  taken  off  her  hood 
she  went  to  the  bedside.  "  Oh,  Grandmama, 


150  LITTLE    RED    RIDING-HOOD 

Grandmama,"  said  she,  "  what  hairy  arms  you 
have  !  " 

"  All  the  better  to  hug  you  with,  my  dear,"  the 
wolf  replied. 

"  And  oh,  Grandmama,  what  great  ears  you 
have!"  said  little  Red  Riding-Hood. 

"  All  the  better  to  hear  you  with,  my  dear,"  the 
wolf  replied. 

"  And  oh,  Grandmama,  what  great  eyes  you 
have  !  "  said  Little  Red  Riding-Hood. 

"  All  the  better  to  see  you  with,  my  dear,"  the 
wolf  replied. 

"  And  oh,  Grandmama,  what  a  long  nose  you 
have  ! "  said  Little  Red  Riding-Hood. 

"  All  the  better  to  smell  the  sweet  flowers  you 
have  brought  me,"  the  wolf  replied. 

"  And  oh,  Grandmama,  what  great  white  teeth  you 
have  !  "  said  Little  Red  Riding-Hood. 

"  All  the  better  to  gobble  you  up  with  !  "  cried 
the  wicked  wolf,  and  he  leaped  from  the  bed  toward 
Little  Red  Riding-Hood  with  his  mouth  wide 
open. 

But  while  the  wolf  and  the  little  girl  had  been 
talking  the  grandmother  had  come  home  from 
market.  She  looked  in  at  the  door  and  saw  the 
wolf  in  her  bed,  and  then  she  ran  to  the  woodpile 


LITTLE   RED   RIDING-HOOD  151 

in  the  yard  and  got  an  ax.  Just  as  the  wolf  sprang 
toward  Little  Red  Riding-Hood  the  grandmother 
rushed  in  at  the  door  with  the  ax  and  gave  the 
wolf  such  a  blow  that  it  killed  him,  and  Little  Red 
Riding-Hood  was  not  harmed  at  all. 


THE  FOUR  MUSICIANS 

THERE  was  once  a  donkey  who  had 
worked  for  his  master  faithfully  many 
years,  but  his  strength  at  last  began  to  fail, 
and  every  day  he  became  more  and  more  unfit  for 
work.  Finally  his  master  concluded  it  was  no 
1onger  worth  while  to  keep  him  and  was  thinking  of 
putting  an  end  to  him.  But  the  donkey  saw  that 
mischief  was  brewing  and  he  ran  away.  "  I  will  go 
to  the  city,"  said  he,  "  and  like  enough  I  can  get 
an  engagement  there  as  a  musician ;  for  though 
my  body  has  grown  weak,  my  voice  is  as  strong  as 
ever." 

So  the  donkey  hobbled  along  toward  the  city, 
but  he  had  not  gone  far  when  he  spied  a  dog  lying 
by  the  roadside  and  panting  as  if  he  had  run  a  long 
way.  "  What  makes  you  pant  so,  my  friend  ?  " 
asked  the  donkey. 

"  Alas  !  "  replied  the  dog,  "  my  master  was  going 
to  knock  me  on  the  head  because  I  am  old  and 
weak  and  can  no  longer  make  myself  useful  to 


THE   FOUR   MUSICIANS  153 

him  in  hunting.     So  I   ran  away ;  but  how  am  I 
to  gain  a  living  now,  I  wonder?" 

"  Hark  ye  !  "  said  the  donkey.  "  I  am  going  to 
the  city  to  be  a  musician.  You  may  as  well  keep 
company  with  me  and  try  what  you  can  do  in  the 
same  line." 

The  dog  said  he  was  willing,  and  they  went  on 
together.  Pretty  soon  they  came  to  a  cat  sitting  in 
the  middle  of  the  road  and  looking  as  dismal  as 
three  wet  days.  "  Pray,  my  good  lady,"  said  the 
donkey,  "  what  is  the  matter  with  you,  for  you 
seem  quite  out  of  spirits  ?  "  ( 

"  Ah  me ! "  responded  the  cat,  "  how  can  I  be 
cheerful  when  my  life  is  in  danger  ?  I  am  getting 
old,  my  teeth  are  blunt,  and  I  like  sitting  by  the 
fire  and  purring  better  than  chasing  the  mice  about. 
So  this  morning  my  mistress  laid  hold  of  me  and 
was  going  to  drown  me.  I  was  lucky  enough  to 
get  away  from  her ;  but  I  do  not  know  what  is  to 
become  of  me,  and  I  'm  likely  to  starve." 

"  Come  with  us  to  the  city,"  said  the  donkey, 
"  and  be  a  musician.  You  understand  serenading, 
and  with  your  talent  for  that  you  ought  to  be  able 
to  make  a  very  good  living." 

The  cat  was  pleased  with  the  idea  and  went 
along  with  the  donkey  and  the  dog.  Soon  after- 


154  THE   FOUR    MUSICIANS 

ward,  as  they  were  passing  a  farmyard,  a  rooster 
flew  up  on  the  gate  and  screamed  out  with  all  his 
might,  "  Cock-a-doodle-doo  !  " 

"  Bravo  !  "  said  the  donkey,  "  upon  my  word  you 
make  a  famous  noise ;  what  is  it  all  about  ?  " 

"  Oh,"  replied  the  rooster,  "  I  was  only  foretelling 
fine  weather  for  our  washing-day ;  and  that  I  do 
every  week.  But  would  you  believe  it !  My 
mistress  does  n't  thank  me  for  my  pains,  and  she 
has  told  the  cook  that  I  must  be  made  into  broth 
for  the  guests  that  are  coming  next  Sunday." 

"Heaven  forbid!"  exclaimed  the  donkey;  "come 
with  us,  Master  Chanticleer.  It  will  be  better,  at 
any  rate,  than  staying  here  to  have  your  head  cut 
off.  We  are  going  to  the  city  to  be  musicians  ; 
and  —  who  knows  ?  —  perhaps  the  four  of  us  can  get 
up  some  kind  of  a  concert.  You  have  a  good  voice, 
and  if  we  all  make  music  together,  it  will  be  some- 
thing striking.  So  come  along." 

"With  all  my  heart,"  said  the  cock;  and  the 
four  went  on  together. 

The  city  was,  however,  too  far  away  for  them  to 
reach  it  on  the  first  day  of  their  travelling,  and 
when,  toward  night,  they  came  to  a  thick  woods, 
they  decided  to  turn  aside  from  the  highway  and 
pass  the  night  among  the  trees.  So  they  found  a 


THE   FOUR   MUSICIANS  155 

dry,  sheltered  spot  at  the  foot  of  a  great  oak  and  the 
donkey  and  dog  lay  down  on  the  ground  beneath 
it ;  but  the  cat  climbed  up  among  the  branches,  and 
the  rooster,  thinking  the  higher  he  sat  the  safer  he 
would  be,  flew  up  to  the  very  top.  Before  he  went 
to  sleep  the  rooster  looked  around  him  to  the  four 
points  of  the  compass  to  make  sure  that  everything 
was  all  right.  In  so  doing  he  saw  in  the  distance  a 
little  light  shining,  and  he  called  out  to  his  com- 
panions, "  There  must  be  a  house  no  great  way  off, 
for  I  can  see  a  light." 

"  If  that  be  the  case,"  said  the  donkey,  "  let  us 
get  up  and  go  there.  Our  lodging  here  is  not  what 
I  am  used  to,  and  the  sooner  we  change  it  for  better 
the  more  pleased  I  shall  be." 

"Yes,"  said  the  dog,  "and  perhaps  I  might  be 
able  to  get  a  few  bones  with  a  little  meat  on  them  at 
that  house." 

"  And  very  likely  I  might  get  some  milk,"  said 
the  cat. 

"  And  there  ought  to  be  some  scraps  of  food  for 
me,"  said  the  rooster. 

So  the  cat  and  the  rooster  came  down  out  of  the 
tree  and  they  all  walked  off  with  Chanticleer  in  the 
lead  toward  the  spot  where  he  had  seen  the  light. 
At  length  they  drew  near  the  house,  and  the  donkey, 


iS6 


THE   FOUR  MUSICIANS 


see?" 


being  the  tallest  of  the  company,  went  up  to  the 
lighted  window  and  looked  in. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  see  ?  "  asked  the  dog. 

"  What    do    T 
answered 
the    donkey.      "  I 
see  that    this  is    a 
robber's    house. 
There    are    swords 
and   pistols    and 
blunderbusses  on 
the  walls,  and  there 
are  chests  of  money 
on    the    floor, 
and    all    sorts 
of  other  plunder 
lying  about.     The 
robbers    are 
sitting    at    a 
table  that  is 
loaded  with 
the    best 
of  eat- 
ables and 
drinkables, 
and    they 


THE    FOUR    MUSICIANS  159 

and  flew  into  his  face,  spitting  and  scratching.  Then 
he  cried  out  in  fright  and  ran  toward  the  door,  and 
the  dog,  who  was  lying  there,  bit  the  robber's  leg. 
He  managed,  however,  to  get  out  in  the  yard,  and 
there  the  donkey  struck  out  with  a  hind  foot  and 
gave  him  a  kick  that  knocked  him  down,  and 
Chanticleer  who  had  been  roused  by  the  noise,  cried 
out  "  Cock-a-doodle-doo  !  Cock-a-doodle-doo  !  " 

The  robber  captain  had  barely  strength  to  crawl 
away  to  the  other  robbers.  "  We  cannot  live  at 
that  house  any  more,"  said  he.  "In  the  kitchen  is 
a  grewsome  witch,  and  I  felt  her  hot  breath  and  her 
long  nails  on  my  face,  and  by  the  door  there  stood 
a  man  who  stabbed  me  in  the  leg,  and  in  the  yard 
is  a  black  giant  who  beat  me  with  a  club,  and  on  the 
roof  is  a  little  fellow  who  kept  shouting,  c  Chuck 
him  up  to  me  !  Chuck  him  up  to  me  ! ' 

So  the  robbers  went  away  and  never  came  back, 
and  the  four  musicians  found  themselves  so  well 
pleased  with  their  new  quarters  that  they  did  not 
go  to  the  city,  but  stayed  where  they  were ;  and  I 
dare  say  you  would  find  them  there  at  this  very 
day. 


TEENY-TINY 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  teeny-tiny 
woman  lived  in  a  teeny-tiny  house  in  a 
teeny-tiny  village.  One  day  this  teeny- 
tiny  woman  put  on  her  teeny-tiny  bonnet  and  went 
out  of  her  teeny-tiny  house  to  take  a  teeny-tiny  walk. 
And  when  the  teeny-tiny  woman  had  gone  a  teeny- 
tiny  way  she  came  to  a  teeny-tiny  gate  ;  and  the 
teeny-tiny  woman  opened  the  teeny-tiny  gate  and 
went  into  a  teeny-tiny  field.  And  when  the  teeny- 
tiny  woman  had  gone  into  the  teeny-tiny  field  she 
saw  a  teeny-tiny  bone  beside  a  teeny-tiny  tree,  and 
the  teeny-tiny  woman  said  to  her  teeny-tiny  self, 
"  This  teeny-tiny  bone  will  make  me  some  teeny- 
tiny  soup  for  my  teeny-tiny  supper." 

So  the  teeny-tiny  woman  put  the  teeny-tiny  bone 
into  her  teeny-tiny  pocket  and  went  home  to  her 
teeny-tiny  house.  And  when  the  teeny-tiny  woman 
got  home  to  her  teeny-tiny  house  she  was  a  teeny- 
tiny  tired,  and  she  went  up  her  teeny-tiny  stairs  to 
her  teeny-tiny  chamber  and  put  the  teeny-tiny  bone 


TEENY-TINY 


161 


into  a  teeny-tiny  cupboard.  Then  she  went  to 
sleep  in  her  teeny-tiny  bed,  and  when  she  had  been 
asleep  a  teeny-tiny  time  she  was  awakened  by  a 


teeny-tiny  voice  from  the  teeny-tiny  cupboard  which 
said  :  — 

"  Give  me  my  bone  !  " 

And  the  teeny-tiny  woman  was  a  teen-tiny 
frightened.  So  she  hid  her  teeny-tiny  head  under 
the  teeny-tiny  clothes  and  went  to  sleep  again. 


1 62  TEENY-TINY 

And  when  she  had  been  asleep  for  a  teeny-tiny 
time,  the  teeny-tiny  voice  cried  out  again  from  the 
teeny-tiny  cupboard  a  teeny-tiny  louder :  — 

"  Give  me  my  bone  !  " 

This  made  the  teeny-tiny  woman  a  teeny-tiny 
more  frightened.  So  she  hid  her  teeny-tiny  head 
a  teeny-tiny  farther  under  the  teeny-tiny  clothes. 
And  when  the  teeny-tiny  woman  had  been  asleep 
again  a  teeny-tiny  time,  the  teeny-tiny  voice  from 
the  teeny-tiny  cupboard  said  again  a  teeny-tiny 
louder :  — 

"  Give  me  my  bone  !  " 

And  the  teeny-tiny  woman  was  a  teeny-tiny  more 
frightened ;  but  she  put  her  teeny-tiny  head  out  of 
the  teeny-tiny  clothes  and  said  in  her  loudest  teeny- 
tiny  voice :  — 

"TAKE    IT!" 


THE   WOLF  AND    THE   SEVEN 
LITTLE   GOSLINGS 

ONCE  there  was  a  goose  who  had  seven  little 
goslings  of  whom  she  was  very  fond,  and 
she  did  everything  she  could  for  them. 
What  troubled  her  most  was  to  keep  them  safe  from 
a  big  gray  wolf  who  lived  near  by  in  the  forest,  and 
who  sometimes  came  prowling  around  the  house 
that  the  goose  lived  in.  Whenever  she  had  to 
go  out  to  look  for  food  she  called  the  goslings 
all  together  and  said,  "  Dear  children,  I  am  obliged 
to  leave  you  for  a  little  while  to  go  and  get  some- 
thing for  us  to  eat.  Take  care  of  yourselves  and  do 
not  let  the  wolf  come  in.  You  will  know  him  by  his 
rough  voice  and  his  black  paws.  If  he  once  gets 
in  the  house  he  will  eat  you." 

The  goslings  always  replied,  "  Oh,  we  will  be 
very  careful,  dear  mother.  You  need  not  worry 
about  us." 

One  day,  when  the  mother  goose  had  gone  out 
to  get  food,  the  wolf  came  to  the  house  and  rapped, 


164     THE   WOLF  AND    SEVEN   LITTLE   GOSLINGS 

and  said  in  his  rough  voice,  "  Dear  children,  open 
the  door.  I  am  your  mother.  I  have  brought 
you  something  very  nice." 

The  seven  little  goslings  made  answer,  "  You  are 
not  our  mother.  She  has  a  fine,  sweet  voice.  Your 
voice  is  rough.  You  are  the  wolf,  and  we  will  not 
open  the  door." 

Then  the  wolf  bethought  himself  of  a  trick.  He 
went  to  a  shopkeeper  and  said,  "  Give  me  a  great 
piece  of  chalk." 

The  shopkeeper  gave  the  wolf  the  chalk,  and 
the  wolf  ate  it,  and  it  made  his  voice  fine  and 
sweet.  Then  he  went  back  to  the  house  of  the 
seven  little  goslings  and  said  with  his  fine,  sweet 
voice,  "  Dear  children,  let  me  come  in.  I  am  your 
mother,  and  every  one  of  you  shall  have  something 
to  eat." 

But  the  seven  little  goslings  looked  through  the 
crack  beneath  the  door  and  saw  his  black  paws. 
Then  they  said,  "Oho!  our  mother  does  not 
have  black  feet.  You  are  the  wolf,  and  we  will  not 
open  the  door." 

So  the  wolf  went  to  a  baker  and  said,  "  Baker, 
sprinkle  my  feet  with  flour." 

The  baker  did  not  wish  to  do  this,  but  the  wolf 
said,  "  If  you  do  not  obey  I  will  eat  you." 


THE   WOLF   AND    SEVEN  LITTLE    GOSLINGS     165 

So  the  baker  strewed  the  wolf's  feet  with  flour, 
and  the  wolf  went  back  to  the  seven  little  goslings 
and  said,  "  Dear  children,  open  the  door.  I  am 
your  mother,  and  every  one  of  you  shall  have  some- 
thing to  eat." 

The  wolfs  voice  was  sweet  and  fine,  and  when 
the  little  goslings  looked  under  the  door  and  saw 
the  wolf's  paws  as  white  as  snow,  they  thought  he 
was  their  mother.  They  opened  the  door  and  the 
wolf  leaped  in. 

The  goslings  were  very  much  frightened  then  and 
they  hid  themselves  as  quickly  as  they  could.  One 
went  under  the  table,  the  second  into  the  bed,  the 
third  into  the  oven,  the  fourth  behind  the  meal- 
chest,  the  fifth  in  a  closet,  the  sixth  beneath  a  great 
pot,  and  the  seventh  went  into  the  clock.  But  the 
wolf  found  them  all  and  ate  them  except  the 
youngest,  who  was  in  the  clock,  and  then  he  went 
away. 

Shortly  afterward  the  mother  goose  came  home. 
The  door  was  open  !  Tables  and  chairs  were  over- 
turned !  the  kitchen  pots  were  broken  !  the  bed- 
clothes were  on  the  floor  !  and,  what  was  worse,  the 
children  were  gone  !  Nowhere  could  she  find  them. 
Then  she  called  them  each  by  name,  and  there  was 
nothing  but  silence  in  response  until  she  came  to 


1 66     THE    WOLF   AND   SEVEN    LITTLE    GOSLINGS 


the  name  of  the  youngest,  when  a  little  squeak- 
ing voice  answered,  "  Dear  mother,  I  am  in  the 
clock." 

She  pulled  him  out,  and  he  related  to  her  what 

had  happened. 

The  old  goose 
said  to  the  little 
one,  "  Come  with 
me.  I  will  take  the 
carving  knife,  and 
we  will  see  if  we 
can  find  that  wicked 
wolf.  He  has  not 
gone  far.  After 
eating  so  much  he 
has  lain  down  some- 
where to  sleep." 

So  the  mother 
goose  took  the  carv- 
ing  knife  and  set 
forth  with  the  little 
gosling  close  be- 
hind her.  They  followed  the  wolf's  tracks  into  a 
meadow,  and  there  they  found  him  fast  asleep  and 
snoring. 

"  Here    he    is,"    whispered    the    mother    goose. 


THE   WOLF   AND   SEVEN   LITTLE    GOSLINGS     167 

"  No  doubt  he  feels  very  comfortable  after  eating 
six  of  my  children  for  his  supper." 

Then  she  stole  up  to  the  wolf  and  gave  him  a 
blow  with  the  carving  knife  that  killed  him.  After 
that  she  cut  him  open  and  out  stepped  the  six  little 
goslings  one  by  one  ;  for  he  had  swallowed  them 
whole  and  they  were  more  frightened  than  hurt. 
They  were  very  glad  to  escape  from  their  dark 
prison,  and  as  they  walked  along  behind  the  mother 
goose  toward  home,  there  neverwere  happier  goslings 
in  the  world  than  they  were. 


.  THE  MAGIC   FIDDLE 

A7ARMER  once  had  a  servant  who  worked 
for  him  three  years  without  being  paid  any 
wages.  The  servant  did  his  work  well  and 
faithfully,  and  was  the  first  of  the  farmer's  help  to 
get  up  in  the  morning  and  the  last  to  go  to  bed  at 
night.  If  there  was  any  hard  work  to  be  done 
which  no  one  else  would  do  he  was  always  ready  to 
undertake  it.  He  never  made  any  complaint,  and 
never  failed  to  be  good-natured  and  contented.  But 
at  last  it  came  into  the  man's  head  that  he  would 
not  continue  without  pay  any  longer.  So  he  went 
to  his  master  and  said,  "  I  have  worked  hard  for 
you  a  long  time,  and  now  I  think  I  should  have 
some  money  for  my  labor." 

The  farmer  was  miserly  and  not  altogether  honest, 
and  as  he  knew  that  his  man  was  very  simple- 
hearted  he  took  out  his  purse  and  gave  him  three- 
pence. "  There  is  a  penny,"  said  he,  "  for  each 
year  you  have  served  me." 


THE   MAGIC   FIDDLE  169 

The  servant  thought  threepence  was  a  great 
deal  of  money  to  have,  and  he  said  to  himself, 
"Why  should  I  work  here  any  longer?  I  can 
now  travel  into  the  wide  world  and  make  myself 
merry." 

Then,  with  his  money  jingling  in  his  pocket,  he 
set  out  roaming  over  hill  and  valley.  As  he  tramped 
singing  along  the  road  a  little  dwarf  hopped  out  of 
a  wayside  bush  and  asked,  "  What  makes  you  so 
happy,  sir  ?  " 

"  Why  !  what  should  make  me  downhearted  ?  " 
said  the  man.  "  I  am  sound  in  health  and  rich  in 
purse.  I  have  saved  up  the  pay  for  three  years' 
work  and  have  it  all  safe  in  my  pocket." 

"  How  much  may  that  come  to  ? "  inquired  the 
dwarf. 

"  Full  threepence,"  replied  the  servant. 

"  Listen,"  said  the  dwarf.  "  I  wish  you  would 
give  the  threepence  to  me.  I  am  very  poor." 

When  the  man  heard  this  he  was  so  sorry  for 
the  dwarf  that  he  gave  him  the  threepence ;  and 
the  little  dwarf  said,  "  As  you  have  been  so  kind  to 
me  I  will  grant  any  wish  that  you  may  care  to 
make  ;  so  choose  whatever  you  like." 

"  Aha  !  "  said  the  servant.  "  You  are  a  wonder- 
worker, I  see,"  and,  greatly  rejoiced  at  his  good 


170  THE   MAGIC   FIDDLE 

luck,  he  paused  to  think  what  he  most  wanted. 
"  I  like  many  things  better  than  money,"  said  he. 
"  Now  if  you  could  give  me  a  fiddle  that  would  set 
every  one  dancing  who  hears  me  play  on  it,  that 
would  please  me  more  than  anything  else  I  can 
think  of." 

"All  right,"  said  the  dwarf,  "you  can  have  what 
you  ask  for  ;  "  and  out  of  a  bag  he  carried  he  pulled 
a  fiddle  and  bow  and  handed  them  to  his  com- 
panion. 

"  Heart  alive !  what  more  can  one  desire  ?  "  said 
the  servant. 

Then  the  dwarf  went  his  way  and  the  hired  man 
walked  on  singing  as  before.  But  he  had  not  gone 
far  when  an  old  man  called  to  him  from  a  roadside 
field.  The  old  man  had  an  ax  in  his  hands  and 
was  standing  under  a  great  oak-tree  that  he  had 
begun  to  cut  down.  "  This  work  is  too  hard  for 
me,"  said  the  old  man.  "  But  a  stout  fellow  like 
you  would  make  nothing  of  it,  and  if  you  will  finish 
chopping  through  this  tree-trunk  I  will  pay  you 
five  shillings." 

"  Give  me  the  ax,"  said  the  servant.  "  I  am 
quite  willing  to  earn  a  little  money,  for  mine  is  all 
gone ;  "  and  he  threw  off  his  coat  and  went  to 
work. 


THE   MAGIC   FIDDLE  Xy! 

By  and  by  the  oak  crashed  to  the  ground. 
"  There,"  said  the  servant,  "  now  1  '11  take  my 
five  shillings  and  be  stepping  along/' 

"  I  did  not  think  you  could  do  the  work  so  soon 
or  I  would  not  have  offered  you  so  much,"  said  the 
old  man. 

"  Well,  that  is  no  fault  of  mine,"  the  servant 
replied. 

"  But  five  shillings  is  more  than  the  work  is 
worth,"  argued  the  old  man.  "  Here,  I  will  give 
you  three  shillings,  and  that  is  a  great  plenty." 

"  No,  I  will  take  nothing  less  than  what  you 
agreed  to  give  me  in  the  first  place,"  the  servant 
declared. 

"  Then  you  will  not  get  anything,"  said  the  other. 

"  We  will  see  about  that,"  was  the  servant's 
response,  and  he  took  up  his  fiddle  and  began 
playing,  and  the  old  man  began  to  dance. 

"  How  is  this  ? "  the  old  man  cried.  "  Is  that 
fiddle  enchanted?" 

"  Yes,"  said  the  servant. 

"  Then  for  heaven's  sake,  my  good  fellow,  play 
no  more  !  "  shouted  the  old  man.  "  I  don't  want 
to  dance.  My  bones  are  too  stiff  for  me  to  be 
springing  about  like  this.  Master,  master  !  do  let 
the  fiddle  alone." 


172  THE   MAGIC   FIDDLE 

"  You  don't  like  dancing,  eh  ? "  laughed  the 
servant.  "  Well,  it  is  good  enough  for  you  after 
treating  me  so  meanly  ;  "  and  he  played  away  more 
briskly  than  ever. 

"Have  pity,  have  pity!"  begged  the  old  man, 
"  and  I  will  give  you  your  money." 

So  the  servant  stopped  fiddling.  Then  the  old 
man  handed  over  the  five  shillings ;  but  he  was  so 
angry  that  as  soon  as  he  had  rubbed  his  aching 
joints  he  hurried  to  the  town,  muttering  as  he  went, 
"  The  miserable  fiddler  !  Just  wait  —  I  will  get 
even  with  him." 

As  soon  as  he  reached  the  town  he  complained 
to  the  constables  that  he  had  been  robbed.  "  You 
will  know  the  rascal  who  robbed  me  easily  enough," 
said  the  old  man ;  "  for  he  is  always  singing,  and  he 
carries  a  violin  under  his  arm." 

The  constables  set  off  at  once  in  search  of  the 
rogue,  and  presently  they  caught  him  and  brought 
him  before  the  court  to  be  tried. 

"That  is  he,"  said  the  old  man,  "that  is  the 
very  fellow  who  stole  my  five  shillings." 

"  No,"  said  the  servant.  "  I  did  not  steal. 
You  gave  me  the  money  for  playing  a  tune  to  you 
on  my  fiddle." 

"  What !  "  exclaimed  the  judge,  "  five  shillings  for 


Have  pity,  have  pity  ! ' '  begged  the  old  man 


THE   MAGIC    FIDDLE  175 

a  tune  on  a  fiddle !  That 's  not  at  all  likely.  I 
fear  you  are  a  liar  as  well  as  a  thief." 

"  I  speak  the  truth,"  said  the  servant. 

"  Heaven  defend  us  !  "  screamed  the  old  man. 
"  His  lies  are  as  thick  as  flies  on  the  wall.  He  stole 
my  money,  and  you  can't  believe  a  word  he  says." 

"  Prisoner/'  said  the  judge,  "  you  deserve 
hanging." 

Then  the  judge  turned  to  the  officers  and  said, 
"  Take  the  five  shillings  from  him  and  give  them  to 
the  old  man  ;  and  after  that  you  may  conduct  the 
culprit  to  the  gallows." 

So  the  officers  took  away  the  servant's  money 
and  marched  him  off  to  the  gallows,  while  the  old 
man  cried  after  him,  "  You  vagabond  !  You  dog 
of  a  fiddler  !  Now  you  will  get  your  just  deserts." 

A  crowd  followed  the  culprit  to  the  place  of 
execution,  and  the  officers  were  about  to  put  the 
rope  around  his  neck  when  he  said  to  the  judge, 
"  My  lord,  grant  me  one  last  request." 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  asked  the  judge. 

"  Only  this,"  replied  the  servant  —  "  that  I  may 
play  on  my  fiddle  once  more." 

"  Very  well,"  replied  the  judge,  "  play  away." 

"  Oh,  no,  no ! "  shouted  the  old  man,  "  for  mercy's 
sake  don't  let  him  play  his  fiddle." 


176  THE   MAGIC   FIDDLE 

But  the  judge  said,  "  It  is  only  for  this  once ;  he 
will  soon  have  done." 

"  Then  bind  me  fast,  oh,  bind  me  fast  before  he 
begins,"  cried  the  old  man. 

The  servant  wasted  no  time  in  starting  a  tune, 
and  at  the  first  scrape  all  the  people  began  to  wag 
their  heads  —  his  accuser  and  the  judge,  the  officers, 
the  jailer,  the  hangman,  and  every  one  else  who  was 
within  hearing.  They  could  not  help  themselves. 

At  the  second  scrape  they  all  lifted  their  legs  and 
the  hangman  let  go  his  hold  of  the  honest  servant 
to  make  ready  to  dance. 

At  the  third  scrape  they  one  and  all  leaped  into 
the  air,  and  began  to  caper  about  —  old  and  young, 
fat  and  lean,  danced  as  hard  as  they  could.  Even 
the  dogs  got  up  on  their  hind  legs  and  pranced 
about  with  the  rest.  The  dancing  was  merry  and 
pleasant  enough  at  first,  but  when  it  had  gone  on 
for  a  while  and  there  seemed  to  be  no  end  to  the 
playing  or  leaping,  the  people  began  to  cry  out  for 
the  servant  to  stop  fiddling.  But  that  he  would 
not  do  till  the  judge  had  promised  he  should  not 
be  hanged,  and  the  old  man  had  given  back  to  him 
his  five  shillings. 

So  the  judge  promised  and  the  old  man  handed 
over  the  money.  Then  the  servant  tucked  the 


THE   MAGIC   FIDDLE  177 

fiddle  under  his  arm  and  started  off  again  on  his 
travels,  and  the  people  who  had  been  dancing 
around  the  gallows  heard  him  singing  as  he  walked 
down  the  street  out  of  the  town. 


THE    CLEVER    WIFE 

ONCE  there  was  a  famous  castle-builder  by 
the  name  of  Gobborn  Seer,  and  he  had  a 
son  called  Jack.  In  the  course  of  time 
Jack  grew  to  be  a  young  man,  and  the  old  castle- 
builder  began  to  think  of  teaching*  him  his  trade 
and  leaving  his  business  to  him.  "  Jack  is  a  good 
boy,"  said  he  ;  "  but  he  is  not  quick  with  his  brains. 
I  must  see  what  I  can  do  for  his  education." 

So  one  day  he  sent  Jack  to  sell  a  sheepskin, 
and  he  said  to  him,  "  You  must  bring  me  back  the. 
skin  and  the  value  of  it  as  well." 

Jack  went,  but  he  could  not  find  any  one  who 
would  leave  him  the  skin  and  give  him  its  price, 
too,  and  he  came  home  discouraged. 

"  Never  mind,"  said  his  father,  "  you  can  try 
again  to-morrow." 

The  next  day  Jack  went  out  once  more  with  the 
skin,  but  nobody  wished  to  buy  it  on  such  terms. 

"  Well,"  said  his  father,  when  Jack  returned  home, 
"  so  you  have  not  sold  the  skin  yet  ?  However,  go 
out  to-morrow  and  your  luck  may  be  better." 


THE   CLEVER   WIFE  179 

On  the  third  day  Jack  set  off  as  before  and 
trudged  hither  and  yon  till  nearly  nightfall  and 
could  not  find  a  customer  who  would  pay  him  for 
the  skin  without  having  it.  At  last  he  came  to 
a  bridge  across  a  little  river,  and  when  he  was  half 
way  over  the  bridge  he  stopped  and  leaned  on  the 
parapet,  thinking  of  his  troubles.  "  I  shall  never 
be  able  to  get  rid  of  this  horrid  sheepskin  if  I  live 
to  be  as  old  as  Methuselah,"  said  he.  "  I  'm  think- 
ing I  'd  better  run  away  from  home  and  have  quit 
of  the  job." 

While  he  was  talking  to  himself  thus  he  looked 
over  the  side  of  the  bridge  and  saw  a  girl  washing 
clothes  on  the  border  of  the  stream.  At  the  same 
time  she  looked  up  and  saw  him,  and  said,  "  If  it 
may  be  no  offence  asking,  what  is  it  you  feel  so 
badly  about  ?  " 

Jack  held  up  the  sheepskin  that  she  might  see  it, 
and  replied,  "  My  father  has  given  me  this  skin 
to  sell,  and  I  am  to  fetch  it  back  and  the  price  of 
it  besides." 

"  Is  that  all  ?  "  laughed  the  girl.  "  Such  a  task 
ought  not  to  trouble  you  in  the  least.  Bring  the 
skin  down  here." 

Jack  carried  it  down  to  her  and  she  washed  it 
in  the  stream  and  took  the  wool  from  it.  Then 


l8o  THE    CLEVER   WIFE 

she  paid  him  its  value  and  kept  the  wool,  but  gave 
him  the  skin  to  carry  back. 

When  Jack  reached  home  he  told  his  father  all 
that  had  happened,  and  his  father  said,  "  That  was 
a  clever  woman  you  met  at  the  bridge,  and  she 
would  make  you  a  good  wife.  Do  you  think  you 
could  find  her  again  ?  " 

<c  I  think  so,"  replied  Jack. 

"  Well,  then/'  his  father  said,  "  you  go  and  see 
if  she  is  at  the  same  place  to-morrow,  and  if  she 
is  there,  bid  her  come  home  with  you  and  take  a 
cup  of  tea  with  us." 

The  young  fellow  did  as  his  father  suggested, 
and,  sure  enough,  he  found  the  girl  at  the  water- 
side and  told  her  how  his  old  father  had  a  wish  to 
meet  her,  and  would  she  be  pleased  to  take  tea 
with  them? 

The  girl  thanked  him  kindly  and  accepted  the 
invitation.  When  she  came  the  old  man  did  not 
have  to  talk  with  her  long  to  assure  himself  that 
she  was  uncommonly  keen-witted,  and  then  he 
asked  her  if  she  would  marry  his  Jack. 

"Yes,"  said  she,  and  they  were  married. 

Not  long  afterward  Gobborn  Seer  told  his  son 
he  must  come  with  him  and  build  the  finest  castle 
that  ever  was  seen.  The  castle  was  to  be  for  their 


THF  CLEVER   WIFE  181 

king,  who  wished  to  outdo  all  the  other  kings  in 
the  world  with  his  wonderful  castle.  So  they  set 
off  for  the  place  where  the  castle  was  to  stand,  and, 
as  they  walked  along,  the  old  man  said  to  Jack, 
"  Can  you  not  shorten  the  way  for  me  ? " 

"  It  is  many  long  miles  we  have  to  go,"  replied 
Jack,  "and  I  would  shorten  them  if  I  could,  but 
I  fear  that  is  not  possible." 

"  Ah,  well ! "  said  the  old  man,  "  if  you  cannot 
shorten  the  way,  you  are  no  good  to  me  and  had 
better  go  back  home." 

So  poor  Jack  returned,  and  when  he  entered  the 
house  door  his  wife  cried  out,  "Why!  how  is  it 
that  you  are  back  so  soon  ? " 

He  told  her  what  his  father  had  said  and  what 
he  had  replied. 

"  You  stupid  !  "  said  his  clever  wife,  "  why  did  n't 
you  tell  a  tale?  That  would  have  shortened  the 
road !  He  would  have  forgotten  the  miles  and 
the  weariness.  Now  listen  till  I  repeat  to  you  a 
story,  and  then  you  catch  up  with  your  father  and 
begin  it  at  once.  He  will  like  hearing  it,  and  by 
the  time  it  is  done  you  will  have  arrived  where  the 
castle  is  to  be." 

Jack  heard  the  story,  and  then  he  ran  as  fast  as 
he  could  until  he  overtook  his  father.  The  old 


1 82  THE   CLEVER   WIFE 

man  said  never  a  word,  but  Jack  began  his  story, 
and  the  road  was  shortened  as  his  wife  had  said. 

At  the  end  of  their  journey  they  found  many 
workmen  assembled  and  waiting  for  them.  The 
workmen  had  been  sent  there  by  the  king  to  labor 
under  the  direction  of  the  old  castle-builder  and 
his  son,  and  without  delay  they  were  set  to  laying 
the  foundations  of  the  castle.  For  a  year  the 
builders  worked,  and  Gobborn  Seer  and  Jack  and 
their  helpers  had  erected  such  a  castle  that  thousands 
came  to  admire  it.  Last  of  all  the  king  came  also. 
"  Is  the  castle  done  ?  "  he  asked. 

"I  have  just  a  ceiling  to  finish  in  an  upper 
hall,"  replied  Gobborn  Seer,  "  and  then  it  will  want 
nothing." 

"Very  well,"  said  the  king,  "I  shall  return 
to-morrow  and  pay  you  for  your  labor." 

But  after  the  king  had  gone  a  friendly  courtier 
sent  for  Gobborn  and  his  son  and  told  them  he 
had  learned  that  the  king  was  so  afraid  they  would 
now  build  some  other  king  as  fine  a  castle  as  his 
that  he  meant  on  the  morrow  to  throw  them  into 
prison  and  keep  them  there  for  the  rest  of  their  lives. 

"  That  sounds  bad,"  said  the  old  man  to  Jack, 
"but  keep  a  good  heart  and  we  will  come  off  all 
right  yet." 


THE   CLEVER   WIFE  183 

The  next  day,  when  the  king  arrived,  Gobborn 
told  him  he  had  been  unable  to  complete  the  upper 
hall  for  lack  of  a  certain  tool.  "  I  shall  have  to 
go  home  for  that  tool,"  said  he. 

"No,  no!"  exclaimed  the  king,  "you  can  send 
just  as  well." 

"Yes,  I  might  send  Jack,  I  suppose,"  the  old 
man  responded. 

"Don't  do  that,"  the  king  said;  "it  will  be 
better  to  have  Jack  here  with  you.  Let  one  of 
the  workmen  do  the  errand." 

"  But  the  tool  I  want  is  a  very  delicate  one," 
explained  Gobborn,  "and  there's  not  a  workman 
among  them  all  to  whom  I  would  trust  it." 

"  Well,  then,  what  would  you  say  to  having 
my  own  son  do  the  errand  for  you  ?  "  asked  the, 
king. 

"  Let  him  go,  by  all  means,"  Gobborn  replied, 
"  and  I  will  send  a  note  by  him  to  Jack's  wife 
telling  her  where  to  find  the  tool." 

Then  he  wrote  this  message  :  "  I  need  my  seequir. 
It  is  in  the  big  tool  chest  in  the  attic.  Don't  let 
the  prince  who  does  this  errand  return  without  it." 

"Jack,"  said  the  old  castle-builder  when  the 
prince  had  gone,  "  if  your  wife  is  as  clever  as  I 
think  she  is  we  can  rest  easy  now.  That  message 


184  THE   CLEVER   WIFE 

will  give  her  a  hint  of  what  she  is  to  do,  and  we 
can  trust  her  to  accomplish  the  rest." 

As  soon  as  Jack's  wife  read  the  letter  the 
prince  brought  she  saw  that  something  was  wrong. 
"  There  is  no  such  tool  as  a  seequir,"  she  thought, 
"  and  that  big  chest  in  the  attic  is  empty ;  and  yet 
the  note  says  for  me  not  to  let  the  prince  return 
without  the  tool.  Well,  I  won't." 

Then  she  said  to  the  prince,  "  I  think  I  shall 
have  to  ask  you  to  help  me  get  that  tool." 

"  I  am  at  your  service,  madam,"  replied  the  prince 
with  a  polite  bow. 

So  Jack's  wife  led  the  way  to  the  attic  and  said, 
"  Here  is  the  big  chest.  I  will  lift  the  lid  and  you 
must  reach  down  into  the  bottom  of  the  chest  after 
the  tool." 

"  With  pleasure,"  responded  the  prince,  but  no 
sooner  had  he  leaned  over  with  his  head  and  arms 
in  the  chest  than  Jack's  wife  gave  him  a  shove  that 
tumbled  him  into  the  big  box,  heels  and  all,  and 
then  she  slammed  down  the  cover  and  locked  it. 
Next  she  hunted  up  an  augur  and  bored  some  holes 
in  the  lid  to  let  in  a  little  air  and  light  to  the 
prisoner. 

"  Now,  Prince,"  said  she,  "I  want  to  know  what 
is  the  matter  with  my  husband  and  his  father." 


THE   CLEVER   WIFE  185 

The  prince  did  not  wish  to  say. 

"You  are  going  to  tell  me  the  whole  story," 
ordered  Jack's  wife,  "  and  if  you  don't  start  with 
it  right  off  I  shall  bring  up  a  kettle  of  hot  water 


from  the  fire  and  pour  some  through  these  augur 
holes.  That  will  loosen  your  tongue,  I  '11  be  bound." 

So  the  prince  told  how  Gobborn  Seer  and  his 
son  were  going  to  be  imprisoned. 

"  We  '11  have  to  put  a  stop  to  such  doings,"  said 
Jack's  wife.  "  Do  you  hear  me,  Prince  ?  —  you 
and  I  will  have  to  put  a  stop  to  such  doings." 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  prince,  "  I  hear  you." 

He  did  not  feel  much  like  arguing,  shut  up  in 
that  box  with  those  augur  holes  in  the  lid  that  only 


1 86  THE   CLEVER    WIFE 

let  in  a  little  light  and  air,  but  which  might  admit 
a  good  deal  of  hot  water. 

"  Very  well,"  said  Jack's  wife,  "  I  'm  going  to 
get  some  paper  and  a  pen  and  ink,  and  I  '11  slip 
them  in  through  these  holes  to  you.  Then  you 
can  write  a  letter  to  the  king,  your  father,  and  let 
him  know  that  you  will  never  return  alive  unless 
the  old  castle-builder  and  his  son  are  released." 

She  got  the  writing  materials  and  poked  them 
through  the  augur  holes  to  the  prince,  and  he  wrote 
as  she  directed. 

The  letter  frightened  the  king  and  he  at  once 
paid  Gobborn  for  his  work  and  let  him  and  his 
son  go  to  their  home. 

"Jack,"  said  his  father,  as  they  were  on  the  way, 
"  your  wife  has  helped  us  nobly.  You  ought  now 
to  reward  her  by  building  a  castle  for  her  far  finer 
than  the  one  we  have  made  for  the  king;"  and  that 
was  what  Jack  did,  and  they  lived  in  it  happily 
ever  after. 


TITTY     MOUSE  [AND^ATTY 
MOUSE  \ 


TITTY   MOUSE  and  Tatty  Mouse  lived 
in  a  house,  and  one  day  when  they  were 
hungry  they  went  out  into  a  wheat  field 
that  was  near  by,  and  Titty  Mouse  brought  home 
an  ear  of  wheat  and  Tatty  Mouse  brought  home  an 
ear  of  wheat.     Titty  Mouse  took  her  ear  of  wheat 
and  picked  all  the  grain  out  of  the  husks,  and  Tatty 
Mouse  took  her  ear  of  wheat  and  picked  all  the 
grain  out  of  the  husks. 

Then  Titty  Mouse  put  her  wheat  in  the  pot  to 
boil,  anH  Tatty  Mouse  put  her  wheat  in  the  pot  to 
boil  ;  and  when  the  wheat  was  boiled  Titty  Mouse 


1 88       TITTY    MOUSE   AND    TATTY   MOUSE 

was  taking  the  pot  off  the  fire  and  her  foot  slipped 
and  the  hot  water  from  the  pot  splashed  on  her. 
She  was  scalded  so  badly  that  she  went  to  bed  sick, 
and  Tatty  sat  down  and  cried. 

A  three-legged  stool  saw  the  jjears  dropping  from 
Tatty's  eyes,  and  it  asked,  "  Tatty,  why  do  you 
weep  ?  " 

"Titty's  sick,"  replied  Tatty,  "and  so  I  weep." 

"  Then  I  '11  hop,"  said  the  stool.  So  the  stool 
hopped. 

A  broom  in  the  corner  of  the  room  saw  the  stool 
hopping  and  it  asked,  "  Stool,  why  do  you  hop  ?  " 

"Oh!"  replied  the  stool,  "Titty's  sick,  and 
Tatty  weeps,  and  so  I  hop." 

"  Then  I  '11  sweep,"  said  the  broom.  So  the 
broom  began  to  sweep. 

The  door  saw  the  broom  sweeping  and  it  asked, 
"  Broom,  why  do  you  sweep  ?  " 

"  Oh ! "  replied  the  broom,  "  Titty 's  sick, 
and  Tatty  weeps,  and  the  stool  hops,  and  so  I 
sweep." 

"  Then  I  '11  creak,"  said  the  door.  So  the  door 
creaked. 

Just  outside  the  door  by  the  house  wall  stood  an 
old  bench,  and  when  the  door  creaked  the  bench 
asked,  "  Door,  why  do  you  creak  ?  " 


TITTY   MOUSE   AND   TATTY   MOUSE       189 

"Oh,"  replied  the  door,  "Titty's  sick,  and 
Tatty  weeps,  and  the  stool  hops,  and  the  broom 
sweeps,  and  so  I  creak." 

"  Then  I  '11  run  round  the  house,"  said  the  old 
bench.  So  the  old  bench  ran  round  the  house. 

A  fine  large  waftiut-tree  grew  in  the  yard  and 
shadowed  the  house  very  pleasantly,  and  when  the 
tree  saw  the  bench  running  it  asked,  "  Bench,  why 
do  you  run  round  the  house  P  " 

"  Oh  !  "  replied  the  bench,  "  Titty  's  sick,  and 
Tatty  weeps,  and  the  stool  hops,  and  the  broom 
sweeps,  the  door  creaks,  and  so  I  run  round  the 
house." 

"Then  I  '11  shed  my  leaves,"  said  the  walnut-tree. 
So  the  walnut-tree  let  fall  all  its  beautiful  green 
leaves. 

A  little  bird  was  perched  on  one  of  the  boughs 
of  the  tree,  and  when  the  leaves  all  dropped  to  the 
ground  the  bird  asked,  "  Walnut-tree,  why  do  you 
shed  your  leaves  ?  " 

"  Oh  !  "  replied  the  tree,  "  Titty 's  sick,  and  Tatty 
weeps,  the  stool  hops,  and  the  broom  sweeps,  the 
door  creaks,  the  old  bench  runs  round  the  house, 
and  so  I  shed  my  leaves." 

"  Then  I  Ml  moult  all  my  feathers,"  said  the  little 
bird.  So  it  let  fall  all  its  pretty  feathers. 


190       TITTY   MOUSE   AND    TATTY    MOUSE 

When   the   feathers   came   drifting   down   to   the 
ground  a  little  girl  happened  to  be  walking  along 
under   the    tree    carrying   a    pail   of  milk    for^  her 
brothers'  and  sisters'  supper.     She  looked  up  and  ( 
asked,   Cf  Little   bird,  why   do    you   drop    all    your . 
feathers  ?  " 

"  Oh  !  "  replied  the  little  bird,  "  Titty  's  sick,  and  , 
T  arty  weeps,  the  stool  hops,  and  the  broom  sweeps,  . 
th^  door  creaks,  the  old  bench  runs  round  the  house,^ 

the    -valnut-tree   sheds   its  leaves,  and   so   I   r/.oult 
^2;  c 

all  n  •;  feathers." 

"iV.n  I'll  spill  the  milk,"  said  the  little  girl  4 
So  she  dropped  the  pail  and  spilled  the  milk. 

Not  fa**  away  an  old  man  was  climbing  up  a 
ladder  to  mend  the  roof  of  the  barn.  He  saw  tli^ 
little  g:-l  dr  ^p  her  pail  and  he  asked,  "  Lit  ie  ^ 
what  do  you  mean  by  spilling  the  milk  ?  Your 
brothers  and  sisters  will  now  have  no  milk  for  tl  ~ir 
supper." 

"  Oh  !  "  replied  the  little  girl,  "  Titty  's  sick,  and 
Tatty  weeps,  the  stool  hops,  and  the  broom  sweeps, 
the  door  creaks,  the  old  bench  runs  round  the 
house,  the  walnut-tree  sheds  its  leaves,  the  little  bird 
moults  all  its  feathers,  and  so  I  spill  the  milk." 

"Then  I  '11  tumble  off  the  ladder,"  said  the  old 
man.  So  he  tumbled  off  the  ladder ;  and  the  little 


TITTY   MOUSE   AND   TATTY    MOUSE       191 

•;irl  was  frightened  and  ran  away  ;  and  the  l;ttle  bird 

'as  frightened  and  wanted  to  get  away  too,  but  it 

ad  moulted  all  its  feathers  and  when  it  tried  to  fly  it 

ropped   to  the  ground.     Then  the  great  walnut- 

ee  fell  right  on  the  house  and  smashed  it  all  to 

eces  ;  and  when    the   house  came  down  the  old 

•nch   was  upset  and  the  door  was  knocked  out, 

d  the  door  in  falling  upset  the  broom,  and  the 

oom  fell  against   the  stool   and   upset  that ;   anr 

or  1:  .tie  Titty  Mouse  and  poor  little  Tatty  Mov    ; 

jre  buried  beneath  the  ruins.     But  whether     *ey 

e  nurt  or  not  I  have  never  heard  said. 


THE  STORY  OF   CHICKEN- 
LICKEN 

ONE  fine  summer  morning  Chicken-licken 
went  to  the  woods  and  an  acorn  fell  from 
an  oak-tree  and  hit  her  right  on  the  head. 
"  Gracious  me  !  "  said  Chicken-liken,  "  the  sky  has 
fallen.  I  must  go  and  tell  the  king." 

So  Chicken-licken  turned  back,  but  she  had  not 
gone  far  when  she  met  Hen-len.  "  Where  are  vou 
going,  Hen-len  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  'm  going  to  the  woods  to  get  something  to 
eat,"  replied  Hen-len. 

And  Chicken-licken  said,  "  Oh  !  Hen-len,  don't 
go  ;  for  I  was  going,  and  the  sky  fell  on  my  head, 
and  now  I  'm  going  to  tell  the  king." 

"  I  will  go  with  you,"  said  Hen-len. 

So  Hen-len  turned  back,  and  they  went  along 
until  pretty  soon  they  met  Cock-lock.  "  Where 
are  you  going,  Cock-lock  ?  "  they  asked. 

"  I  'm  going  to  the  woods  to  get  something  to 
eat,"  replied  Cock-lock. 


THE   STORY   OF   CHICKEN-LICKEN         193 

Then  Hen-len  said,  "  Oh  !  Cock-lock,  don't  go  ; 
for  I  was  going,  and  I  met  Chicken-licken,  and 
Chicken-licken  had  been  to  the  woods,  and  the  sky 
had  fallen  on  her  head,  and  we  are  going  to  tell 
the  king." 

"  I  will  go  with  you,"  said  Cock-lock. 

So  Cock-lock^  turned  back  and  they  went  along 
until  pretty  soon  they  met  Ducky-daddies. 
"  Where  are  you  going,  Ducky-daddies  ? "  they 
asked. 

"  I  'm  going  to  the  woods  to  get  something  to 
eat,"  replied  Ducky-daddies. 

Then  Cock-lock  said,  "  Oh  !  Ducky-daddies, 
don't  go ;  for  I  was  going,  and  I  met  Hen-len,  and 
Hen-len  had  met  Chicken-licken,  and  Chicken- 
licken  had  been  to  the  woods  and  the  sky  had 
fallen  on  her  head,  and  we  are  going  to  tell  the 
king." 

"  I  will  go  with  you,"  said  Ducky-daddies. 

So  Ducky-daddies  turned  back  and  they  went 
along  until  pretty  soon  they  met  Goosie-poosie. 
"  Where  are  you  going,  Goosie-poosie  ?  "  they  asked. 

:cl'm  going  to  the  woods  to  get  something  to 
eat,"  replied  Goosie-poosie. 

Then  Ducky-daddies  said,  "Oh!  Goosie-poosie, 
don't  go  ;  for  I  was  going,  and  I  met  Cock-lock, 

13 


194         THE   STORY   OF   CHICKEN-LICKEN 

and  Cock-lock  had  met  Hen-Jen,  and  Hen-len  had 
met  Chicken-licken,  and  Chicken-licken  had  been 
to  the  woods  and  the  sky  had  fallen  on  her  head, 
and  we  are  going  to  tell  the  king." 

"  I  will  go  with  you,"  said  Goosie-poosie. 

So  Goosie-poosie  turned  back  and  they  went 
along  until  pretty  soon  they  met  Turkey-lurkey. 
"  Where  are  you  going,  Turkey-lurkey  ?  "  they 
asked. 

"  I  'm  going  to  the  woods  to  get  something  to 
eat/'  replied  Turkey-lurkey. 

Then  Goosie-poosie  said,  "  Oh  !  Turkey-lurkey  > 
don't  go  ;  for  I  was  going,  and  I  met  Ducky-daddies, 
and  Ducky-daddies  had  met  Cock-lock,  and  Cock- 
lock  had  met  Hen-len,  and  Hen-len  had  met 
Chicken-licken,  and  Chicken-licken  had  been  to 
the  woods  and  the  sky  had  fallen  on  her  head,  and 
we  are  going  to  tell  the  king." 

"  I  will  go  with  you,"  said  Turkey-lurkey. 

So  Turkey-lurkey  turned  back  and  they  went 
along  until  pretty  soon  they  met  Fox-lox ;  and 
Fox-lox  said,  "  Where  are  you  going,  my  pretty 
dears  ?  " 

And  they  replied,  "  Chicken-licken  went  to  the 
woods  and  the  sky  fell  on  her  head,  and  we  are 
going  to  tell  the  king." 


THE   STORY    OF   CHICKEN-LICKEN         195 

"  All  right,"  said  Fox-lox,  "  come  along  with  me, 
and  I  will  show  you  the  way." 

So  they  went  along  with  Fox-lox,  and  he  took 
them  to  his  hole,  and  he  and  his  young  ones  soon 
ate  up  poor  Chicken-licken,  Hen-len,  Cock-lock, 
Ducky-daddies,  Goosie-poosie,  and  Turkey-lurkey, 
and  they  never  saw  the  king  to  tell  him  that  the 
sky  had  fallen. 


KING    O'TOOLE    AND    HIS 
GOOSE 

IN   Ireland  there  was  once  a  king  called  King 
O'Toole,  and   he  was  very  fond  of  hunting. 
Up  he   got  every  morning  at   the   rising  of 
the  sun,   and   away   he  went  over   the    mountains 
after  the  deer.     As  long  as  he  had  his  health  this 
kind  of  life  just  suited  King  O'Toole ;   but  in  the 
course   of  time   he  grew  old  and  was  stiff  in  his 
limbs,  and  could  go  hunting  no  more.     Then  the 
king  was  very  sad,  and  at  last  he  got  a  goose  which 
he  hoped  might  divert  him  somewhat. 

The  goose  did  its  best,  and  it  used  to  fly  about 
over  the  lake  near  the  king's  castle  and  swim  in 
the  water  and  dive  and  catch  fish.  The  king  liked 
to  watch  the  goose,  and  for  a  considerable  time  it 
entertained  him  very  well;  but  at  last  the  goose 
got  stricken  in  years  like  its  master,  and  could  not 
divert  him  any  longer.  Then  King  O'Toole  felt 
so  downhearted  that  life  seemed  to  him  scarcely 
worth  living.  One  morning  he  was  walking  by 


KING   O'TOOLE   AND   HIS    GOOSE  197 

the  lake  lamenting  his  unhappy  fate,  and  thinking 
he  might  as  well  drown  himself  when  he  met  a 
young  man. 

"  God  save  you,"  said  the  king. 

"  God  save  you  kindly,  King  O'Toole,"  said  the 
young  man,  who  was  none  other  that  Saint  Kavin 
in  disguise. 

"  I  have  never  seen  you  before,"  said  the  king. 
"  Who  are  you  ?  " 

"  I  'm  an  honest  man,"  replied  Saint  Kavin. 

"  Well,  honest  man,"  said  the  king,  "  you  wear 
good  clothing  and  look  prosperous  and  as  if  you 
had  money  laid  by.  How  do  you  get  your  living, 
may  I  ask  ?  " 

"  By  making  old  things  as  good  as  new,"  was 
Saint  Kavin's  reply. 

"  Is  it  a  tinker  you  are  ?  "  inquired  the  king. 

"  No,"  responded  the  saint.  "  I'm  not  a  tinker. 
I  Ve  a  better  trade  than  that ;  and  what  would  you 
say,  King  O'Toole,  if  I  made  your  old  goose  young 
again  ?  " 

At  the  thought  of  having  his  old  goose  young 
once  more  the  king's  eyes  were  ready  to  jump  out  of 
his  head.  Then  he  whistled,  and  the  old  goose 
came  waddling  to  him  from  behind  a  clump  of 
bushes  near  by. 


KING    O'TOOLE   AND    HIS    GOOSE 


The  minute  the  saint  set  eyes  on  the  goose  he 
took  pity  on  its  feebleness  and  said,  "  I  '11  do  the  job 
for  you,  King  O'Toole." 

"  Bedad  !  "  exclaimed  the  king,  "  if 
you  do  I  '11  say  you  are  the  cleverest 
fellow  in  siven 
parishes." 

"But  you'll 
have  to  say  more 
than  that,"  .was 

^•'^a^SBpT^V/ 

Saint  Kavin's  re- 
sponse. "  I  'm 
not  going  to  re- 
pair your  old 
goose  for  noth- 
ing, and  I  want 
to  know  how 
much  you 're 
going  to  give 
me." 

"  I  '11  give  you 
whatever     you 

ask,"  said  the  king.  ^^  "  Is  n't  that  fair  ?  " 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  Saint  Kavin,  "  that 's  the  way 

to  do  business.     Now  this  is  the  bargain  I'll  make 


KING   O'TOOLE   AND   HIS   GOOSE          199 

with  you,  King  O'Toole —  you  give  me  all  the 
ground  the  goose  goes  over  in  its  first  flight  after 
I  make  it  young  and  strong." 

"  Done  !  "  said  the  king. 

"  Well,  then,"  continued  Saint  Kavin,  "  I  '11  go  to 
work  at  once,"  and  he  called  the  old  goose  to  him 
and  took  it  up  by  its  two  wings.  "  Criss  o'  my 
cross  on  you,"  said  he  and  threw  the  bird  up  into 
the  air  —  and  how  the  goose  did  fly  !  It  went  swift 
and  high  and  cut  as  many  capers  as  a  swallow  before 
a  shower  of  rain. 

The  king  stood  with  his  mouth  open  watching 
with  delight  the  bird's  every  motion,  and  when  it 
came  and  lit  at  his  feet  he  patted  it  on  the  head  and 
said,  "  My  dear,  you  are  the  darlint  of  the  world." 

But  the  goose  in  its  flight  had  covered  a  great 
deal  of  country.  It  had  been  over  the  castle  and 
all  the  king's  land  for  a  mile  around.  "  And  now 
what  have  you  to  say  to  me  for  makin'  your  goose 
like  that  ?  "  asked  Saint  Kavin. 

"  I  'm  very  much  beholden  to  you,"  replied  the 
king. 

"  And  will  you  give  me  all  the  ground  the  goose 
flew  over  ?  "  Saint  Kavin  inquired. 

"  I  will,"  said  King  O'Toole,  « and  you  'd  be 
welcome  to  it  even  if  it  took' the  last  acre  I  had." 


200          KING   O'TOOLE   AND   HIS   GOOSE 

"  And  you  '11  keep  your  word  true  ?  "  questioned 
the  saint. 

"  Of  course  I  will,"  affirmed  the  king. 

"  It 's  well  for  you,  King  O'Toole,  that  you 
speak  as  you  do,"  declared  Saint  Kavin ;  "  for  if 
you  did  not  keep  your  promise  I  'd  never  let  your 
goose  fly  again." 

"  Waste  no  more  words  ! "  exclaimed  King 
O'Toole,  "the  land  is  yours." 

"  But  I  don't  want  your  land,"  said  Saint  Kavin. 
"  I  only  came  here  to  try  you,  and  you  're  a  very 
dacint  man,  King  O'Toole  ;  and  now  I  '11  tell  you 
that  I  'm  disguised,  and  that  is  the  reason  you  do 
not  know  me." 

"  Musha !  then,"  said  the  king,  "  and  who  might 
you  be  ?  " 

"  I  'm  Saint  Kavin,"  was  the  reply. 

"Oh,  queen  of  heaven!"  the  king  exclaimed, 
falling  on  his  knees  hef^e  the  saint,  "  is  it  the 
great  Saint  Kavin  I  've  been  discoursing  with  all 
this  time  ?  " 

"  It  is,"  said  the  saint. 

"  Be  jabers  !  I  thought  I  was  only  talking  to  a 
lump  of  a  gossoon  !  "  said  the  king. 

"  Well,  you  know  the  difference  now,"  remarked 
the  good  saint. 


KING   O'TOOLE   AND    HIS   GOOSE          2OI 

And  so  King  O'Toole  had  his  goose  made  young 
again  to  divert  him  as  long  as  he  lived.  But  by 
and  by  the  king  died,  and  soon  afterward  the  goose 
got  into  trouble  with  a  big  eel  in  the  lake.  The 
goose  was  fishing  and  got  hold  of  the  eel  by  mistake, 
and,  instead  of  the  goose  killing  the  eel,  the  eel 
killed  the  goose.  However,  the  eel  did  not  eat  the 
goose,  for  it  did  not  dare  eat  what  Saint  Kavin  had 
laid  his  blessed  hands  on. 


THE    THREE    LITTLE    PIGS 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  an  old  mother 
pig  and  three  little  pigs  and  they  lived  in 
the  middle  of  an  oak  forest.  While  the 
children  were  still  quite  small  the  acorn  crop  failed. 
That  made  it  difficult  for  Mrs.  Piggy-wiggy  to  find 
enough  for  her  children  to  eat,  and  the  little  pigs  had 
to  go  hungry.  So  at  last  the  mother  pig  sent  the 
little  pigs  off  to  seek  their  fortunes. 

The  first  little  pig  to  go  walked  on  and  on  until 
he  met  a  man  carrying  a  bundle  of  straw,  and  the 
little  pig  said,  "  Please,  man,  give  me  that  straw 
to  build  me  a  house." 

So  the  man  gave  the  little  pig  the  straw,  and  the 
little  pig  built  a  house  of  it.  In  this  house  of  straw 
the  little  pig  lived  very  comfortably ;  but  one  day 
a  wolf  came  along  and  rapped  at  the  door.  "  Little 
pig,  little  pig,  let  me  come  in,"  said  the  wolf. 

"  No,  no,  by  the  hair  of  my  chinny,  chin,  chin," 
said  the  little  pig. 


THE    THREE   LITTLE    PIGS  2OJ 

"  Then  I  '11  huff  and  I  '11  puff  and  I  '11  blow  your 
house  down,"  said  the  wolf. 

So  he  huffed  and  he  puffed  and  he  blew  the 
house  down  and  carried  the  little  pig  off  to  his  den. 

The  second  little  pig  that  left  the  mother  pig 
walked  on  and  on  until  he  met  a  man  carrying  a 
bundle  of  brush,  and  the  little  pig  said,  "  Please, 
man,  give  me  that  brush  to  build  me  a  house." 

So  the  man  gave  the  little  pig  the  brush,  and  the 
little  pig  built  a  house  of  it.  In  this  house  of  brush 
the  little  pig  lived  very  comfortably  ;  but  one  day  the 
wolf  came  along  and  rapped  at  the  door.  "  Little 
pig,  little  pig,  let  me  come  in,"  said  the  wolf. 

"  No,  no,  by  the  hair  of  my  chinny,  chin,  chin," 
said  the  little  pig. 

"  Then  I  '11  huff  and  I  '11  puff  and  I  '11  blow  your 
house  down,"  said  the  wolf. 

So  he  huffed  and  he  puffed,  and  he  puffed  and 
he  huffed,  and  at  last  he  blew  the  house  down  and 
carried  off  the  little  pig. 

The  third  little  pig,  after  he  left  the  mother  pig, 
walked  on  and  on  until  he  met  a  man  with  a  load 
of  bricks,  and  the  little  pig  said,  "  Please,  man,  give 
me  those  bricks  to  build  me  a  house." 

So  the  man  gave  the  little  pig  the  bricks  and  the 
little  pig  built  a  house  of  them.  In  this  house  of 


204  THE   THREE   LITTLE   PIGS 

bricks  the  little  pig  lived  very  comfortably;  but 
one  day  the  wolf  came  along  and  rapped  at  the 
door.  "  Little  pig,  little  pig,  let  me  come  in,"  said 
the  wolf. 

"  No,  no,  by  the  hair  of  my  chinny,  chin,  chin," 
said  the  little  pig. 

"  Then  I  '11  huff  and  I  '11  puff  and  I  '11  blow  your 
house  down,"  said  the  wolf. 

So  he  huffed  and  he  puffed,  and  he  huffed  and 
he  puffed,  and  he  puffed  and  he  huffed ;  but  the 
house  was  built  of  bricks  and  he  could  not  blow  it 
down.  At  last  he  had  no  breath  left  to  huff  and 
puff  with,  so  he  sat  down  outside  the  little  pig's 
house  and  thought  for  a  while.  Presently  he  said, 
"  Little  pig,  I  know  where  there  is  a  nice  field  of 
turnips." 

"  Where  ?  "  asked  the  little  pig. 

"  Not  half  a  mile  from  here,  at  Farmer  Smith's," 
replied  the  wolf.  "  If  you  will  be  ready  to-morrow 
morning  I  will  call  for  you  and  we  will  go  together 
and  get  some  turnips  for  dinner." 

"At  what  time  do  you  mean  to  go?"  said  the 
little  pig. 

"  Oh,  at  six  o'clock,"  the  wolf  answered. 

"Very  well,"  said  the  little  pig,  "I  will  be 
ready." 


THE   THREE   LITTLE   PIGS  205 

But  the  little  pig  got  up  at  five  o'clock  and  he 
went  off  to  Farmer  Smith's  and  filled  a  basket 
with  turnips  and  returned  home  before  the  wolf 
came.  He  had  locked  the  door  and  was  busy 
about  his  housework  when  he  heard  the  wolf 
rapping  outside. 

"  Little  pig,  are  you  ready  ?  "  the  wolf  said. 

"  Ready ! "  exclaimed  the  little  pig,  "  I  have 
been  to  the  turnip  field  and  got  back,  and  I  'm 
paring  the  turnips  for  dinner  now." 

The  wolf  was  very  angry  at  this,  but  he  was 
bound  to  catch  the  little  pig  in  some  way  or  other. 
So  he  thought  a  moment  and  then  he  said,  "  Little 
pig,  I  know  where  there  is  a  nice  apple-tree  loaded 
with  apples." 

"  Where  ?  "  asked  the  little  pig. 

"  Down  in  the  valley  at  Farmer  Brown's,"  replied 
the  wolf.  "  If  you  will  be  ready  to-morrow  morning 
I  will  call  for  you  at  five  o'clock  and  we  will  go 
together  and  get  some  apples  for  dinner." 

"Very  well,"  said  the  little  pig,  "I  will  be 
ready." 

But  the  next  morning  the  little  pig  was  up  2^  four 
o'clock  and  he  hurried  down  to  Farmer  Brown's 
in  the  valley.  He  hoped  to  return  home  before 
the  wolf  arrived ;  but  he  had  farther  to  go  than  the 


206  THE   THREE   LITTLE   PIGS 

day  before,  and  he  had  to  climb  the  tree  to  fill  the 
bag  he  had  brought  with  the  apples.  So  the  wolf 
got  to  the  little  pig's  house  while  the  little  pig  was 
gone  for  the  apples,  and  found  the  house  empty. 
Then  the  wolf  ran  to  Farmer  Brown's  as  fast  as  he 
could  go,  and  when  he  came  to  the  apple-tree  the 
little  pig  was  just  preparing  to  climb  down  from 
among  the  branches. 

"  Little  pig/'  said  the  wolf,  "  you  treat  me  very 
badly.  You  should  have  waited  for  me." 

The  little  pig  was  much  frightened,  but  he  said, 
"  These  are  splendid  apples.  I  will  throw  you 
down  one  ;  "  and  he  threw  the  apple  so  far  that  while 
the  wolf  was  gone  to  pick  it  up  the  little  pig  jumped 
to  the  ground  and  ran  home. 

Early  the  next  day  the  wolf  came  to  the  little 
pig's  house  again  and  said,  "  Little  pig,  there  is  a 
fair  at  the  town  in  the  valley  this  afternoon.  Will 
you  go  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,"  replied  the  little  pig.  "  I  will  go.  At 
what  time  do  you  want  to  start  ?  " 

"  At  three,"  said  the  wolf. 

But  the  little  pig  went  off  before  the  time,  as 
usual,  and  got  to  the  fair  and  bought  a  churn.  He 
was  carrying  the  churn  home  when  he  saw  the  wolf 
coming.  Then  he  could  not  tell  what  to  do.  So 


THE   THREE   LITTLE   PIGS 


207 


he  crawled  into  the  churn  to  hide.  But  he  happened 
to  be  near  the  top  of  a  hill,  and  no  sooner  was  he 
in  the  churn  than  it  began  to  roll  and  bump  down 


the  hill  with  the  little  pig  squealing  and  kicking 
inside  ;  for  he  was  badly  scared  and  thought  he 
would  be  bumped  to  death,  or,  if  not  that,  he  was 
sure  the  wolf  would  get  him. 

The  wolf,  however,  imagined  the  churn  was  some 


208  THE   THREE   LITTLE   PIGS 

strange  beast  that  meant  him  harm.  He  had  never 
seen  or  heard  the  like  in  all  his  life,  and  he  was  so 
terrified  he  turned  about  and  ran  home  without 
going  to  the  fair.  He  did  not  venture  out  again 
till  toward  evening.  Then  he  went  to  the  little 
pig's  house  and  said,  "  Little  pig,  did  you  go  to 
the  fair  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  the  little  pig,  "  I  went  to  the  fair, 
and  why  did  n't  you  go  ?  " 

"  I  started  to  go,"  replied  the  wolf,  "  but  when 
I  was  nearly  there  a  great  howling  round  thing 
chased  me.  It  had  its  mouth  wide  open  and  could 
easily  have  swallowed  me  whole.  I  had  to  run  with 
all  my  might  or  it  would  have  caught  me." 

"  Ha,  ha  !  "  laughed  the  little  pig,  "  it  was  I  who 
frightened  you.  I  had  been  to  the  fair  and  bought 
a  churn,  and  when  I  saw  you  I  crawled  into  it  and 
rolled  down  the  hill." 

Then  the  wolf  was  so  angry  that  he  declared 
he  would  eat  up  the  little  pig  without  any  more 
delay.  "  You  can't  keep  me  out,  even  if  you  have 
locked  the  door,"  shouted  the  wolf.  "  I  will  come 
down  the  chimney  !  " 

The  little  pig  had  a  big  pot  of  water  boiling  on 
the  fire,  and  when  he  heard  the  wolf  scrambling  up 
the  roof  he  took  the  cover  off  the  pot.  A  minute 


THE   THREE   LITTLE   PIGS  209 

later  the  wolf  came  down  the  chimney  and  fell  right 
into  the  pot,  and  the  little  pig  put  the  cover  on  and 
that  was  the  last  of  the  wicked  wolf.  After  that  the 
little  pig  lived  very  happily  in  his  house  of  bricks 
and  there  he  is  to  this  day. 


THE   FAIRY  COW 

THERE   was   once   an    old   woman   whose 
home  was  a  poor  little  cottage  in  a  country 
village.     She  got  a  living  by  doing  odd 
jobs  for  the  farmers'  wives  round  about.     It  was 
not  much  she  could  earn,  yet,  with  a  silver  piece 
here  and  a  few  pennies  there,  and  sometimes  the 
gift  of  a  bit  of  meat,  or  a  little  tea,  she  contrived  to 
get  along  without  serious  discomfort,  and  she  was  as 
cheerful  as  if  she  had  not  a  want  in  the  world. 

One  summer  evening  as  she  was  going  home  she 
came  on  a  stout,  black  pot  lying  at  the  side  of  the 
road.  "  Now  who  could  have  left  that  pot  here  ?  " 
said  she,  looking  about  to  see  if  any  one  was  in  sight 
to  whom  it  might  belong.  "  It  would  be  just  the 
very  thing  for  me,"  she  continued,  "  if  I  had  some- 
thing to  put  in  it.  But  stop  !  maybe  it  has  been 
thrown  away  and  has  a  hole  in  the  bottom.  Ah, 
yes  !  that  is  the  trouble,  I  '11  be  bound.  Still,  the 
hole  would  not  prevent  the  pot  doing  fine  to  put 
some  flowers  in  for  the  window,  and  I  'm  thinking 
I  '11  take  it  home  any  way." 


THE   FAIRY   COW  21 1 

So  she  bent  her  stiff  old  back  and  lifted  the  lid 
to  look  inside.  But  what  she  saw  so  surprised  her 
that  she  jumped  back  to  the  middle  of  the  road, 
exclaiming,  "  Mercy  me !  the  pot  is  full  to  the  brim 
of  gold  pieces.  Who  would  have  thought  it !  " 

For  a  while  she  could  do  nothing  but  walk  round 
and  round  her  treasure,  admiring  the  yellow  gold  and 
wondering  at  her  good  fortune  and  saying  over 
and  over,  cc  Well,  I  do  be  feeling  rich  and  grand." 

Presently,  however,  she  picked  up  the  pot  and 
started  again  toward  home.  "  No  one  will  see  what 
I  'm  taking  along  with  me,"  said  she  ;  "  for  the  sun 
is  gone  and  it  is  growing  dark,  and  I  '11  have  all  the 
night  to  myself  to  think  what  I  '11  do  with  this 
mass  of  golden  money.  I  could  buy  a  fine  house 
with  it  and  live  like  the  queen  herself  and  not  do  a 
stroke  of  work,  but  just  sit  comfortable  by  the  fire 
all  day  with  a  cup  of  tea  ;  or  maybe  I  '11  go  to  the 
minister  and  ask  him  to  keep  the  money  for  me, 
and  then  I  'd  get  a  little  of  it  from  him  every  week 
as  I  was  wanting  ;  or  perhaps  I  '11  bury  it  in  a  hole 
in  the  garden  and  only  save  out  one  or  two  pieces 
to  put  on  the  mantel  between  my  china  teapot  and 
the  candles  for  ornament,  you  know.  Ah  !  I  feel 
so  grand  I  don't  know  myself  rightly  !  " 

By  this  time  she  had  become  rather  tired  with 


212  THE   FAIRY   COW 

carrying  such  a  heavy  weight  and  she  stopped  to 
rest.  She  set  the  pot  down  and  then  thought 
she  would  have  another  look  at  her  wealth.  But 
when  she  took  the  cover  off  she  saw  that  instead  of 
gold  the  pot  was  full  of  shining  silver.  She  stared 
and  rubbed  her  eyes  and  stared  again. 

"  I  would  have  sworn  it  was  gold,"  she  said  ; 
"  but  I  reckon  I  must  have  been  dreaming.  Well, 
whatever  it  was  I  'm  better  off  with  silver  than  gold. 
It'll  be  far  less  trouble  to  look  after,  and  not  so 
likely  to  be  stolen.  Those  gold  pieces  would  have 
made  a  sight  of  bother  to  keep  'em  safe.  Yes,  yes, 
I  'm  well  quit  of  them,  and  with  the  pot  full  of  silver 
I  'm  as  rich  as  any  one  need  be." 

Then  she  set  off  homeward  again  cheerfully 
planning  all  the  things  she  was  going  to  do  with 
her  money.  But  by  and  by  she  grew  tired  once 
more  and  paused  to  rest  for  a  minute  or  two  ;  and 
of  course  she  had  to  have  another  look  into  the 
pot.  As  soon  as  she  took  off  the  cover  she  cried 
out  in  amazement,  for  there  was  nothing  inside  but 
a  lump  of  iron.  "  Well,  well  !  "  she  cried,  "  that 
does  beat  all  !  and  yet  how  nice  it  is  to  have  such  a 
fine  heavy  piece  of  iron.  I  can  sell  it  easy,  and  the 
pennies  it  brings  will  come  very  handy.  Ah,  yes, 
it  is  far  better  to  have  this  iron  than  a  lot  of  gold  or 


THE   FAIRY   COW  2 13 

silver  that  would  have  kept  me  from  sleeping  nights 
thinking  bad  men  would  be  prowling  around  to  rob 
me.  Oh,  I  am  doing  very  well  indeed  !  " 

On  she  went,  now,  pot  in  hand,  chuckling  to 
herself  over  her  good  fortune  until  her  arm  was 
tired  of  the  burden,  and  for  the  third  time  she  set 
the  pot  down  that  she  might  rest  and  have  another 
glance  at  its  contents.  She  took  off  the  cover  and 
peeped  in  and  was  astonished  to  find  nought  except 
a  stone.  "Deary  me!"  she  said,  "a  stone  is  it 
this  time  !  Yes,  yes,  and  glad  I  am  to  have  it. 
I  've  been  wanting  a  stone  like  that  to  hold  my 
door  open  with.  It  will  be  the  very  thing!  Ah, 
did  any  one  ever  hear  of  such  fine  luck  as  mine!" 

She  was  in  haste  to  see  how  the  stone  would  look 
in  the  corner  by  her  door,  and  she  hurried  on  until 
she  came  to  her  cottage  gate.  In  order  to  unfasten 
the  gate  she  put  the  pot  down,  and  when  she  stooped 
to  pick  it  up  she  heard  something  inside  and  took 
the  cover  off.  Instantly  out  leaped  an  animal  that 
grew  in  a  moment  into  a  big  cow,  and  the  pot  dis- 
appeared. The  cow  shook  its  legs  and  flourished  its 
tail  and  bellowed  and  laughed  and  ran  off  kicking  its 
feet  into  the  air. 

The  old  woman  gazed  after  it  in  speechless  be- 
wilderment till  it  was  fairly  out  of  sight.  "  Well/' 


2I4 


THE    FAIRY    COW 


she  said  at  last,  "  I  surely  am  the  luckiest  body 
hereabouts.  Fancy  my  seeing  a  fairy  cow  all  to 
myself,  and  making  so  free  with  it  too  !  I  never  in 
all  my  life  felt  so  grand  !  " 

Then  she  went  into  her  cottage  and  sat  down  by 
the  fire  to  think  over  her  good  luck. 


THE    MASTER   OF   ALL 
MASTERS 

A  GIRL  once  hired  herself  for  a  servant  to  a 
queer  old  gentleman  who,  as  soon  as  she 
came  to  his  house  ready  for  work,  said, 
"  Before  you  begin  I  want  to  give  you  some  in- 
structions." 

"  Very  well,  sir,"  said  she. 

"  In  my  house  I  have  my  own  names  for  things," 
he  continued,  "and  I  beg  you  to  carefully  heed  and 
remember  what  I  say." 

"  Oh,  certainly,  sir,  I  will  do  that,"  she  replied. 

"  Now,  firstly,"  said  he,  "  what  will  you  call  me  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  will  call  you  master,  or  mister,  or  what- 
ever you  please,  sir,"  said  she. 

"No,  no,"  said  he,  "you  must  call  me  c  master 
of  all  masters  ' ;  and  what  would  you  call  this  ?  "  he 
asked  pointing  to  his  bed. 

"  Oh,  I  would  call  it  a  bed,  or  a  couch,  or  what- 
ever you  please,  sir,"  she  replied. 

"  No,"  said  he,  "  that 's  my  (  barnacle  ' ;  and  what 


2l6  THE   MASTER   OF   ALL   MASTERS 

do  you  call  these  ? "  he  inquired,  pointing  to  his 
pantaloons. 

"  Oh,  I  call  them  breeches,  or  trousers,  or  what- 
ever you  please,  sir,"  said  she. 

"  You  must  call  them  c  squibs  and  crackers,'  "  said 
he;  "and  what  would  you  call  her?"  he  asked, 
pointing  to  the  cat. 

"  Oh,  I  would  call  her  cat,  or  pussy,  or  whatever 
you  please,  sir,"  said  she. 

"  You  must  call  her  £  white-faced  simminy,'  "  said 
he ;  "  and  what  do  you  call  this  ?  "  he  asked,  waving 
his  hand  toward  the  fire. 

"  Oh,  I  call  it  fire,  or  flame,  or  whatever  you 
please,  sir,"  said  she. 

"  You  must  call  it  £  hot  cockalorum/  "  said  he ; 
"  and  what  do  you  call  this  ?  "  he  asked,  pointing  to 
some  water. 

"  Oh,  I  call  it  water,  or  wet,  or  whatever  you 
please,  sir,"  she  replied. 

"No,"  said  he,  "  *  pondybus  '  is  its  name  here; 
and  what  do  you  call  the  building  in  which  I  reside  ?" 

"  Oh,  I  call  it  house,  or  cottage,  or  whatever  you 
please,  sir,"  said  she. 

"  You  must  call  it  *  high-topper  mountain/  "  he 
ordered. 

That  very  night  the  servant  awoke  her  master 


THE    MASTER   OF   ALL   MASTERS 


217 


from  a  sound  sleep  by  pounding  with  her  fists  on 
his   door  and   shouting   in  great  fright, 
"  Master  of  all  masters,  get  out  of 
your  barnacle  and  put  on  your 
squibs  and  crackers ;  for  white- 
faced  simminy  has  got  a  spark 
of    hot    cockalorum 
on  her  tail,  and  un- 
less   you    get    some 
pondybus,  the  high- 
topper    mountain 
will  be  all  on  hot 
cockalorum!" 

In  saying 
this  she  had 
used  just  the 
words  her 
master  had 
ordered,  but  by  so 
doing  she  had  been 
so  long  explaining  what 
was  the  matter  that  the 
house  was  on  fire  by 
the  time  she  finished.  The  flames  spread  rapidly, 
and  though  the  servant  and  her  master  escaped,  the 
building  burned  to  the  ground. 


21 8  THE   MASTER   OF   ALL   MASTERS 

The  queer  old  gentleman  built  another  house 
presently  and  hired  another  servant;  but  he  let 
her  call  things  by  their  ordinary  names,  and  did 
not  attempt  to  teach  her  invented  ones  of  his 
own. 


MR.    MICRAWBLE 

TOMMY  TODKINS  was  sometimes  a  good 
boy  and  sometimes  a  bad  boy ;  and  when 
he  was  a  bad  boy  he  was  a  very  bad  boy. 
On  stormy  days  his  mother  used  to  say  to  him, 
"  Now,  Tommy,  don't  go  out  on  the  street  until  it 
stops  raining." 

"  But  I  want  to  go,"  said  Tommy. 

"  No,  you  would  get  wet  and  be  sick,  I  'm 
afraid,"  replied  his  mother,  "  and  besides  Mr. 
Micrawble  might  catch  you." 

Yet  when  Tommy  was  a  bad  boy  he  would  go 
out  on  the  street  in  spite  of  what  his  mother  said, 
no  matter  if  it  did  rain ;  and  one  day,  sure  enough, 
Mr.  Micrawble  caught  him  and  popped  him  in  a 
bag  upside  down  and  carried  him  off. 

As  soon  as  Mr.  Micrawble  reached  home  he  pulled 
Tommy  out  of  the  bag  and  felt  of  his  arms  and  legs. 
"  You  're  rather  lean,"  said  he.  C{  However,  you  're 
all  the  meat  I  've  got  for  supper  and  it 's  high  time 
I  had  you  boiling  in  the  pot  —  but  dear  me  !  I  Ve 


220  MR.  MICRAWBLE 

forgotten  to  get  the  potatoes  and  turnips  and  oth 
vegetables.     You  'd  not  taste  good  alone." 

Then  he  called  to  Mrs.  Micrawble,  "Sally. 
Here,  I  say,  Sally  !  " 

So  Mrs.  Micrawble  came  and  asked,  "  What  do 
you  want,  my  dear?" 

"  Oh,  I  Ve  caught  a  little  boy  for  supper,"  re- 
plied Mr.  Micrawble,  "  but  I  Ve  forgotten  the 
vegetables.  Look  after  him,  will  you,  while  I  gc 
for  them  ? " 

"All  right,"  said  Mrs.  Micrawble,  and  off  he 
went. 

Then  Tommy  Todkins  said  to  Mrs.  Micrawble, 
"  Does  Mr.  Micrawble  always  have  little  boys  for 
supper  ? " 

"Yes,  mostly,"  answered  Mrs.  Micrawble;  "for 
if  the  little  boys  are  bad  enough  and  get  in  his  way 
he  's  sure  to  catch  them." 

"And  don't  you  have  anything  else  but  boy-meat 
—  no  pudding?  "  Tommy  inquired. 

"Ah!  I  love  pudding,"  said  Mrs.  Micrawble; 
"  but  it 's  very  seldom,  indeed,  that  I  get  it." 

"  Why !  my  mother  is  making  a  pudding  this 
very  day,"  said  Tommy,  "  and  she  'd  give  you  some 
of  it  if  I  asked  her.  Shall  I  run  and  get  some?" 

"Now,  that's  a  thoughtful  boy,"  responded  Mrs. 


MR.  MICRAWBLE 


223 


^icrawble.     "You   can  go,  only  don't  stay  long, 
.,,1  be  sure  to  get  back  for  supper." 


So  Tommy  ran  home  as  fast  as  he  could  go,  but 
he  did  not  think  it  was  safe  to  return  with  the  pud- 
ding for  Mrs.  Micrawble.  Many  a  long  day  passed 
and  Tommy  was  as  good  as  good  could  be,  and 
never  went  out  to  play  on  rainy  days.  However, 


224  MR.   MICRAWBLE 

it  was  very  hard  to  be  always  good,  and  finally  he 
ventured  out  one  wet  afternoon,  and,  as  luck  would 
have  it,  Mr.  Micrawble  happened  along  and  picked 
Tommy  Todkins  up  and  carried  him  off  once  more 
in  his  bag. 

When  Mr.  Micrawble  got  home  and  shook 
Tommy  out  of  the  bag  and  had  a  look  at  him  he 
said,  "Ah,  you  're  the  youngster  that  served  me  and 
my  wife  such  a  shabby  trick  a  while  ago,  and  left  us 
without  any  supper.  Well,  you  sha'n't  do  that 
again.  Here,  get  under  the  sofa,  and  I  '11  sit  on 
it  and  watch  till  the  pot  boils  for  you." 

So  poor  Tommy  Todkins  had  to  crawl  under  the 
sofa,  and  Mr.  Micrawble  sat  on  it  and  waited  for 
the  pot  to  boil ;  and  he  waited  and  he  waited  and 
he  waited,  but  still  the  pot  did  not  boil.  Then 
Mrs.  Micrawble  went  out  to  chop  some  wood  for 
the  fire,  and  Mr.  Micrawble  fell  asleep. 

"  Now,  I  must  get  away  from  here,"  said  Tommy 
to  himself  when  he  heard  Mr.  Micrawble  snoring, 
and  he  crept  out  from  under  the  sofa  and  was  step- 
ping softly  along  toward  the  door  when  he  saw  Mrs. 
Micrawble  coming  across  the  yard  with  her  arms 
full  of  wood.  He  was  too  late  to  escape  in  that 
direction  and  he  looked  around  for  a  place  to  hide. 
The  door  of  the  brick  oven  at  the  side  of  the  fireplace 


MR.   MICRAWBLE  225 

was  open,  and  by  standing  on  a  chair  he  got  up  to 
it  and  crawled  in.  Then  he  pulled  the  door  closed, 
but  the  door  creaked  and  awakened  Mr.  Micrawble. 

"What  was  that  I  heard?"  said  Mr.  Micrawble, 
and  he  looked  under  the  sofa  to  see  if  Tommy  was 
still  there.  "  Sally,  my  dear  Sally  !  "  he  called  just 
as  his  wife  came  in  with  the"  wood,  "  that  boy  has 
gone  ! " 

"  Well,  I  have  been  in  the  yard  all  the  time," 
said  Mrs.  Micrawble,  "and  he  couldn't  have  come 
from  the  house  without  my  seeing  him.  Perhaps 
he  went  upstairs." 

"  Yes,"  said  Mr.  Micrawble,  "  he  must  have  gone 
upstairs.  We  will  go  up  and  find  him." 

But  as  soon  as  Tommy  Todkins  heard  their  foot- 
steps going  up  the  stairs  he  climbed  out  of  the  oven 
and  hurried  home.  After  that  he  did  not  go  onto 
the  street  to  play  when  it  stormed,  and  Mr. 
Micrawble  never  caught  him  again. 


THE    FISHERMAN   AND    HIS 
WIFE 

THERE  was  once  a  fisherman  who  lived  with 
his  wife  in  a  poor  little  hut  close  by  the 
sea.  One  day,  as  the  fisherman  sat  on  the 
rocks  at  the  water's  edge  fishing  with  his  rod  and 
line,  a  fish  got  caught  on  his  hook  that  was  so  big 
and  pulled  so  stoutly  that  he  captured  it  with  the 
greatest  difficulty.  He  was  feeling  much  pleased 
that  he  had  secured  so  big  a  fish  when  he  was  sur- 
prised by  hearing  it  say  to  him,  "  Pray  let  me  live. 
1  am  not  a  real  fish.  I  am  a  magician.  Put  me  in 
the  water  and  let  me  go." 

"You  need  not  make  so  many  words  about  the 
matter,"  said  the  man.  "  I  wish  to  have  nothing  to 
do  with  a  fish  that  can  talk.'" 

Then  he  removed  it  from  his  hook  and  put  it 
back  into  the  water.  "  Now  swim  away  as  soon  as 
you  please,"  said  the  man,  and  the  fish  darted  straight 
down  to  the  bottom. 

The  fisherman  returned  to  his  little  hut  and  told 
his  wife  how  he  had  caught  a  great  fish,  and  how  it 


THE   FISHERMAN   AND    HIS   WIFE 


227 


had  told  him  it  was  a  magician,  and  how,  when  he 
heard  it  speak,  he  had  let  it  go. 


"  Did  you  not  ask  it  for  anything  ?  "  said  the  wife. 
"  No,"   replied   the    man ;   "  what    should  I   ask 
for?" 

"  What  should  you  ask  for  !  "  exclaimed  the  wife, 


228          THE    FISHERMAN    AND    HIS    WIFE 

"You  talk  as  if  we  had  everything  we  want,  but  see 
how  wretchedly  we  live  in  this  dark  little  hut.  Do 
go  back  and  tell  the  fish  we  want  a  comfortable 
house." 

The  fisherman  did  not  like  to  undertake  such  an 
errand.  However,  as  his  wife  had  bidden  him  to 
go,  he  went ;  and  when  he  came  to  the  sea  the  water 
looked  all  yellow  and  green.  He  stood  on  the 
rocks  where  he  had  fished  and  said, 

"  Oh,  man  of  the  sea ! 

Come  listen  to  me  ; 
For  Alice  my  wife, 
The  plague  of  my  life, 
Hath  sent  me  to  beg  a  gift  of  thee  ! ' ' 

Then  the  fish  came  swimming  to  him  and  said, 
"  Well,  what  does  she  want  ?  " 

"  Ah,"  answered  the  fisherman,  "  my  wife  says 
that  when  I  had  caught  you  I  ought  to  have  asked 
you  for  something  before  I  let  you  go.  She  does 
not  like  living  any  longer  in  our  little  hut.  She 
wants  a  comfortable  house." 

"  Go  home  then,"  said  the  fish ;  "  she  is  in  the 
house  she  wants  already." 

So  the  man  went  home  and  found  his  wife 
standing  in  the  doorway  of  a  comfortable  house, 
and  behind  the  house  was  a  yard  with  ducks  and 


THE   FISHERMAN   AND   HIS   WIFE 


229 


chickens  picking  about  in  it,  and  beyond  the  yard 
was  a  garden  where  grew  all  sorts  of  flowers  and 


fruits.     "  How  happily  we  shall  live   now  !  "   said 
the  fisherman. 

Everything  went  right  for  a  week  or  two,  and 
then  the  wife  said,  "  Husband,  there  is  not  enough 
room  in  this  house,  and  the  yard  and  garden  are  a 
great  deal  smaller  than  they  ought  to  be.  I  would 


230          THE   FISHERMAN   AND    HIS    WIFE 

like  to  have  a  large  stone  castle  to  live  in.  So  go  to 
the  fish  again  and  tell  him  to  give  us  a  castle/' 

"  Wife,"  said  the  fisherman,  "  I  don't  like 
to  go  to  him  again,  for  perhaps  he  will  be  angry. 
We  ought  to  be  content  with  a  good  house  like 
this." 

"  Nonsense  ! "  said  the  wife,  "  he  will  give  us  a 
castle  very  willingly.  Go  along  and  try." 

The  fisherman  went,  but  his  heart  was  heavy, 
and  when  he  came  to  the  sea  the  water  was  a  dark 
gray  color  and  looked  very  gloomy.  He  stood  on 
the  rocks  at  the  water's  edge  and  said, 

"  Oh,  man  of  the  sea  ! 

Come  listen  to  me ; 
For  Alice  my  wife, 
The  plague  of  my  life, 
Hath  sent  me  to  beg  a  gift  of  thee  !  " 

Then  the  fish  came  swimming  to  him  and  said, 
"  Well,  what  does  she  want  now  ?  " 

"  Ah,"  replied  the  man  very  sorrowfully,  "  my 
wife  wants  to  live  in  a  stone  castle." 

"  Go  home  then,"  said  the  fish  ;  "  she  is  at  the 
castle  already." 

So  away  went  the  fisherman  and  found  his  wife 
standing  before  a  great  castle.  "  See,"  said  she,  "is 
not  this  fine  ?  " 


THE   FISHERMAN   AND    HIS   WIFE          231 

They  went  into  the  castle,  and  many  servants 
were  there,  and  the  rooms  were  richly  furnished 
with  handsome  chairs  and  tables ;  and  behind  the 
castle  was  a  park  half  a  mile  long,  full  of  sheep  and 
goats  and  rabbits  and  deer. 

"  Now,"  said  the  man,  "  we  will  live  contented 
and  happy  in  this  beautiful  castle  for  the  rest  of 
our  lives." 

"Perhaps  so,"  responded  the  wife;  "but  let  us 
consider  and  sleep  on  it  before  we  make  up  our 
minds,"  and  they  went  to  bed. 

The  next  morning  when  they  awoke  it  was 
broad  daylight,  and  the  wife  jogged  the  fisherman 
with  her  elbow  and  said,  "Get  up,  husband;  bestir 
yourself,  for  we  must  be  king  and  queen  of  all  the 
land." 

"  Wife,  wife,"  said  the  man,  "  why  should  we 
wish  to  be  king  and  queen  ?  I  would  not  be 
king  even  if  I  could  be." 

"  Well,  I  will  be  queen,  anyway,"  said  the  wife. 
"  Say  no  more  about  it ;  but  go  to  the  fish  and 
tell  him  what  I  want." 

So  the  man  went,  but  he  felt  very  sad  to  think 
that  his  wife  should  want  to  be  queen.  The  sea 
was  muddy  and  streaked  with  foam  as  he  cried 
out, 


2J2          THE   FISHERMAN   AND   HIS   WIFE 

"  Oh,  man  of  the  sea  ! 

Come  listen  to  me  ; 
For  Alice  my  wife, 
The  plague  of  my  life, 
Hath  sent  me  to  beg  a  gift  of  thee  !  * ' 

Then  the  fish  came  swimming  to  him  and  said, 
"  Well,  what  would  she  have  now  ?  " 

£f  Alas  ! "  said  the  man,  "  my  wife  wants  to  be 
queen." 

"  Go  home,"  said  the  fish  ;  "  she  is  queen  already." 

So  the  fisherman  turned  back  and  presently  he 
came  to  a  palace,  and  before  it  he  saw  a  troop 
of  soldiers,  and  he  heard  the  sound  of  drums 
and  trumpets.  Then  he  entered  the  palace  and 
there  he  found  his  wife  sitting  on  a  throne,  with 
a  golden  crown  on  her  head,  and  on  each  side 
of  her  stood  six  beautiful  maidens. 

"  Well,  wife,"  said  the  fisherman,  "  are  you 
queen  ? " 

"  Yes,"  she  replied,  "  I  am  queen." 

When  he  had  looked  at  her  for  a  long  time  he 
said,  "  Ah,  wife  !  what  a  fine  thing  it  is  to  be  queen  ! 
Now  we  shall  never  have  anything  more  to  wish  for." 

"  I  don't  know  how  that  may  be,"  said  she;  "never 
is  a  long  time.  I  am  queen,  't  is  true,  but  I  begin  to 
be  tired  of  it.  I  think  I  would  like  to  be  pope  next." 


THE   FISHERMAN   AND   HIS    WIFE          233 

"  Oh,  wife,  wife  !  "  the  man  exclaimed,  "  how  can 
you  be  pope?  There  is  but  one  pope  at  a  time  in 
all  Christendom." 

"  Husband,"  said  she,"  I  will  be  pope  this  very 
day." 

"Ah,  wife!"  responded  the  fisherman,  "the  fish 
cannot  make  you  pope  and  I  would  not  like  to  ask 
for  such  a  thing." 

"  What  nonsense!  "  said  she.  "  If  he  can  make 
a  queen,  he  can  make  a  pope.  Go  and  try." 

So  the  fisherman  went,  and  when  he  came  to  the 
shore  the  wind  was  raging  and  the  waves  were  dashing 
on  the  rocks  most  fearfully,  and  the  sky  was  dark  with 
flying  clouds.  The  fisherman  was  frightened,  but 
nevertheless  he  obeyed  his  wife  and  called  out, 

"  Oh,  man  of  the  sea  ! 

Come  listen  to  me  ; 
For  Alice  my  wife, 
The  plague  of  my  life, 
Hath  sent  me  to  beg  a  gift  of  thee  !  " 

Then  the  fish  came  swimming  to  him  and  said, 
"What  does  she  want  this  time?" 

"  Ah  !  "  said  the  fisherman,  "  my  wife  wants  to  be 
pope." 

"  Go  home,"  commanded  the  fish  ;  "she  is  pope 
already." 


234          THE   FISHERMAN   AND   HIS   WIFE 

So  the  fisherman  went  home  and  found  his  wife 
sitting  on  a  throne  that  was  a  hundred  feet  high, 
and  on  either  side  many  candles  of  all  sizes  were 
burning,  and  she  had  three  great  crowns  on  her 
head  one  above  the  other  and  was  surrounded  by 
all  the  pomp  and  power  of  the  Church. 

"Wife,"  said  the  fisherman,  as  he  gazed  at  all 
this  magnificence,  "  are  you  pope  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  she  replied,  "  I  am  pope." 

"  Well,  wife,"  said  he,  "  it  is  a  grand  thing  to  be 
pope;  and  now  you  must  be  content,  for  you  can 
be  nothing  greater." 

"  We  will  see  about  that,"  she  said. 

Then  they  went  to  bed ;  but  the  wife  could  not  sleep 
because  all  night  long  she  was  trying  to  think  what  she 
should  be  next.  At  last  morning  came  and  the  sun 
rose.  "  Ha  !  "  cried  she,  "  I  was  about  to  sleep,  had 
not  the  sun  disturbed  me  with  its  bright  light.  Can- 
not I  prevent  the  sun  rising  ?  "  and  she  became  very 
angry  and  said  to  her  husband,  "  Go  to  the  fish  and 
tell  him  I  want  to  be  lord  of  the  sun  and  moon." 

"  Alas,  wife  !  "  said  he,  "  can  you  not  be  content 
to  be  pope  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  she,  "  I  am  very  uneasy,  and  cannot 
bear  to  see  the  sun  and  moon  rise  without  my  leave. 
Go  to  the  fish  at  once !  " 


THE   FISHERMAN   AND    HIS   WIFE          235 

The  man  went,  and  as  he  approached  the  shore  a 
dreadful  storm  arose  so  that  the  trees  and  rocks 
shook,  and  the  sky  grew  black,  and  the  lightning 
flashed,  and  the  thunder  rolled,  and  the  sea  was 
covered  with  vast  waves  like  mountains.  The 
fisherman  trembled  so  that  his  knees  knocked  to- 
gether, and  he  had  hardly  strength  to  stand  in  the 
gale  while  he  called  to  the  fish  : 

"  Oh,  man  of  the  sea! 
Come  listen  to  me  ; 
For  Alice  my  wife, 
The  plague  of  my  life, 
.   Hath  sent  me  to  beg  a  gift  of  thee!  " 

Then  the  fish  came  swimming  to  him  and  said, 
"  What  more  does  she  want  ?  " 

"  Ah  ! "  said  the  man,  "  she  wants  to  be  lord  of 
the  sun  and  moon." 

"  Go  home  to  your  hut  again,"  said  the  fish. 

So  the  man  returned,  and  the  palace  was  gone, 
and  in  its  place  he  found  the  dark  little  hut  that  had 
formerly  been  his  dwelling,  and  he  and  his  wife  have 
lived  in  that  little  hut  to  this  very  day. 


CINDERELLA 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  girl  whose 
father  and  mother  had  died,  and  she  had 
gone  to  live  with  a  family  of  wealthy  rela- 
tives. They  did  not  like  to  be  burdened  with  her 
and  they  treated  her  very  badly,  though  she  was 
the  sweetest,  best-tempered  creature  that  ever  was. 

The  lady  of  the  house  was  proud  and  disagreeable, 
and  she  had  two  daughters  who  were  very  much 
like  her.  They  made  their  poor  relative  work  in 
the  kitchen  and  do  all  the  household  drudgery.  It 
was  she  who  washed  the  dishes  and  scrubbed  down 
the  stairs  and  swept  the  floors.  She  had  to  sleep 
in  the  garret  on  a  wretched  bed  of  straw,  while  the 
rooms  of  the  two  sisters  were  very  elegant,  and  were 
furnished  with  nice  feather-beds  and  had  full-length 
looking-glasses  in  which  the  young  ladies  could 
admire  themselves  all  day  long. 

The  poor  girl  bore  her  troubles  with  patience 
and  never  complained.  When  she  had  finished  her 
day's  work  she  used  to  sit  in  the  chimney-corner 
on  a  low  stool  among  the  ashes  and  cinders,  and  so  the 


CINDERELLA  237 

sisters  nicknamed  her  Cinderella.  But  Cinderella, 
in  spite  of  hard  work  and  shabby  clothes,  was  a 
hundred  times  prettier  than  they  were,  decked  out 
in  all  their  finery. 

It  happened  after  a  time  that  the  king's  son  gave 
a  grand  ball  which  was  to  continue  for  two  nights 
and  to  which  he  invited  all  persons  of  fashion  for 
miles  around;  and  as  the  two  young  ladies  made  a 
great  figure  in  society  they,  of  course,  received 
invitations.  "  We  shall  certainly  go,"  said  they, 
"  and  perhaps  we  may  have  the  chance  to  dance  with 
the  prince." 

So  they  were  wonderfully  busy  choosing  such 
dresses  as  might  be  most  becoming,  and  could  talk 
of  nothing  but  their  fine  clothes  day  in  and  day  out. 
"  I  shall  put  on  my  red  velvet  dress  with  point  lace 
trimmings,"  said  the  elder. 

"And  I,"  said  the  younger  sister,  "shall  wear 
my  gold-brocaded  train  and  my  circlet  of  diamonds." 

Their  preparations  made  no  end  of  trouble  for 
Cinderella,  and  she  was  kept  constantly  engaged  in 
plaiting  ruffles,  sewing,  arranging  bows  and  ribbons, 
and  in  washing  and  ironing  the  sisters'  linen.  But 
she  helped  willingly  all  she  could,  and  when  the 
great  day  came,  offered  to  dress  the  young  ladies' 
hair.  They  were  glad  to  have  her  do  that,  and 


2j8  CINDERELLA 

while  she  was  brushing  and  combing  they  said  to 
her,  "  Cinderella,  would  not  you  like  to  go  to  the 
ball  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  she,  "  but  so  grand  a  ball  as  this  is 
to  be  is  not  for  such  as  I  am." 

"  You  are  quite  right,"  they  said,  "  for  every  one 
would  laugh  to  see  a  ragged  kitchen  girl  there." 

Cinderella  finished  the  young  ladies'  hair  and 
assisted  them  to  dress,  and  they  never  before  in 
their  lives  had  been  arrayed  half  so  becomingly. 
Indeed,  they  were  so  delighted  that  at  dinner-time 
they  could  scarcely  eat  a  morsel ;  and,  besides,  it 
was  not  easy  to  eat  much,  for  they  had  laced  very 
tight  to  make  their  waists  as  slender  as  possible. 

What  they  had  said  to  Cinderella  about  the  ball 
set  her  to  thinking  how  nice  it  would  be  if  she  really 
could  attend  it,  and  finally  she  asked  the  sisters' 
mother,  who  chanced  to  come  into  the  kitchen 
while  she  was  washing  the  dinner  dishes,  to  let  her 

g°- 

"You,  Cinderella  !  "  exclaimed  the  lady.     "  Why! 

you  are  wearing  the  only  dress  you  have  —  and  just 
look  at  it !  What  could  put  such  an  idea  into  your 
head?  But,  see  here,"  said  she,  taking  up  a  dish 
of  peas  that  was  on  a  shelf,  "  I  will  throw  this 
basinful  of  peas  into  the  ash-heap  behind  the  house, 


CINDERELLA  239 

and  jf  you  can  get  every  pea  picked  out  of  the 
ashes  in  an  hour's  time  you  can  go  to  the  ball 
with  my  daughters." 

Then  thejady,  followed  by  Cinderella,  carried 
the  peas  out  and  threw  them  into  the  ashes.  "Here 
is  the  basin,"  said  she,  handing  it  to  the  girl,  "  and 
you  can  go  at  your  task  as  soon  as  you  choose." 

She  returned  to  the  house,  and  Cinderella  stood 
looking  at  the  ash-heap.  "  I  could  not  find  all 
those  peas  in  a  week's  time,"  said  she ;  "  I  must 
have  help."  And  she  began  to  call, 

"  Hither,  hither,  through  the  sky, 
All  you  little  songsters  fly  ! 
One  and  all,  come  help  me  quick, 
Make  haste,  make  haste  —  come  pick,  pick,  pick  !  " 

At  once  a  great  number  of  little  birds  came 
chirping  and  fluttering  to  the  ash-heap  and  com- 
menced to  pick,  pick,  pick.  Cinderella  held  the 
basin  and  they  brought  the  peas  one  by  one  and 
dropped  them  into  it.  In  a  short  time  she  had  all 
the  peas  out  of  the  ashes  and  carried  them  in  to  her 
mistress  overjoyed  at  the  thought  she  could  now  go 
to  the  ball.  But  the  lady  said,  "  No,  no,  you 
have  n't  clothes.  I  spoke  in  jest  before.  You  shall 
not  go ;  for  you  would  only  put  us  to  shame." 

Evening  came  and  the  two  young  women  set  off 


240  CINDERELLA 

for  the  ball,  and  Cinderella  watched  them  until  they 
were  out  of  sight  and  then  stood  by  the  fire  and 
wept.  At  this  moment  a  good  fairy  appeared  and 
asked  her  what  was  the  matter. 

"  I  wish  —  I  wish  —  "  began  the  poor  girl,  but 
her  voice  was  choked  with  tears. 

"  You  wish  that  you  could  go  to  the  ball/' 
interrupted  the  fairy. 

"  Indeed  I  do/'  said  Cinderella,  with  a  sigh. 

"  Well,  then,  stop  crying/'  said  the  fairy,  "  and  I 
think  I  can  contrive  to  have  you  go  not  only  this 
evening,  but  to-morrow  evening,  too.  Run  into 
the  garden  and  bring  me  a  pumpkin." 

Cinderella  hurried  out  and  brought  back  the 
finest  pumpkin  she  could  find,  though  she  could  not 
imagine  what  the  fairy  wanted  of  it.  But  the  fairy 
took  a  knife,  scooped  out  the  pumpkin  quite  hollow 
an  niched  it  with  her  wand.  Immediately  it  was 
changed  into  a  splendid  carriage.  "  Now,"  said  the 
fairy,  "  is  n't  there  a  mouse-trap  set  in  the  store- 
room ?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  Cinderella. 

"  Go  and  see  if  there  are  any  mice  in  it,"  the 
fairy  ordered. 

Cinderella  soon  returned,  bringing  the  trap  with 
six  mice  inside.  "  Lift  the  trap  door  a  little  and  let 


CINDERELLA 


241 


chem  out,"  said  the  fairy,  and  as  the  mice  escaped 
from  the  trap  she  changed  each  one  by  a  stroke  of 
icr  warH  into  a  fine  dapple-gray  horse. 


"  But  what  shall  we  do  for  a  coachman  ?  "  asked 
the  fairy. 


16 


242  CINDERELLA 

"There's  likely  to  be  a  rat  in  the  trap  in  the 
cellar  if  you  could  make  a  coachman  out  of  him/' 
suggested  Cinderella. 

"  That 's  a  good  thought,"  the  fairy  responded. 
"  So  look  at  the  trap  without  delay." 

Cinderella  was  quickly  back  with  the  trap,  and 
in  it  was  a  rat  with  a  tremendous  pair  of  whiskers. 
The  fairy  touched  the  rat  with  her  wand  and  it 
became  a  fat  jolly  coachman  with  the  smartest 
whiskers  ever  seen. 

"  The  next  thing  for  you  to  do,"  said  the  fairy  to 
Cinderella,  "  is  to  go  again  to  the  garden.  You  will 
find  two  lizards  behind  the  watering-pot.  Bring 
them." 

The  lizards  were  no  sooner  brought  than  the 
fairy  turned  them  into  footmen  with  laced  liveries, 
and  they  skipped  up  to  a  seat  at  the  back  of  the 
coach  just  as  naturally  as  if  they  had  been  footmen 
all  their  lives. 

"  Well,"  said  the  fairy,  "  here  is  your  coach  and 
six  horses,  your  coachman  and  your  footmen  to  take 
you  to  the  ball.  Are  you  not  pleased  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes  !  "  replied  Cinderella,  "  but  must  I  go 
in  these  shabby  clothes  ?  " 

The  fairy  smiled  and  tapped  her  with  her  wand, 
when  her  rags  were  changed  to  a  dress  of  cloth  of 


CINDERELLA  243 

gold  all  decked  with  costly  jewels.  This  done,  she 
gave  her  a  pair  of  the  prettiest  slippers  in  the  world, 
made  of  glass. 

"  These  slippers,"  said  she,  "  I  give  you  to  keep 
always,  but  the  other  things  are  enchanted  into  the 
forms  they  have  at  present  for  only  a  short  time." 

Cinderella  now  got  into  the  carriage,  and  as  she 
was  about  to  start  the  fairy  said,  "  Do  not  on  any 
account  stay  after  midnight,  for  if  you  do  the  coach 
will  be  a  pumpkin  again,  your  horses  mice,  your 
coachman  a  rat,  your  footmen  lizards,  and  your 
beautiful  clothes  the  rags  you  wear  every  day." 

Cinderella  promised  the  fairy  she  would  not 
fail  to  leave  the  ball  before  midnight,  and  drove 
away  in  an  ecstasy  of  delight.  When  she  arrived 
at  the  palace  the  guards  and  attendants  were  so 
struck  by  her  magnificent  equipage  that  they  sup- 
posed her  to  be  some  rich  princess.  At  once  the 
carriage  was  surrounded  by  courtiers  who  assisted 
her  to  alight  and  conducted  her  to  the  ball-room. 
The  moment  she  appeared  all  voices  were  hushed, 
the  violins  ceased  playing,  and  the  dancing  stopped 
short.  Everybody  was  admiring  the  stranger's 
beauty.  "  How  handsome  she  is !  How  sur- 
passingly lovely ! "  and  similar  expressions  were 
heard  on  all  sides,  and  the  old  king  whispered  to 


244  CINDERELLA 

the  queen  that  he  had  not  seen  so  comely  a  young 
woman  in  many  a  long  day. 

All  the  ladies  busied  themselves  in  considering 
her  clothes  and  head-dress,  that  they  might  have 
garments  of  the  same  pattern,  provided  they  could 
find  such  rich  materials  and  seamstresses  capable  of 
making  them  up.  The  prince  came  forward  to  re- 
ceive Cinderella,  and  he  so  admired  her  beauty  and 
manners  that  he  promptly  offered  her  his  hand  to 
dance.  Cinderella,  pleased  beyond  measure  at  this 
gracious  reception  and  at  the  splendor  of  all  she 
saw,  danced  with  the  greatest  animation.  The  proud 
sisters,  in  whose  home  she  lived,  were  vexed  to  have 
any  one  attract  more  attention  than  themselves  ;  but 
they  did  not  recognize  the  ragged  kitchen  girl  in  the 
superb  garments  she  now  wore. 

A  fine  supper  was  presently  served,  and  the  young 
prince  helped  Cinderella  to  every  delicacy,  but  was  so 
taken  up  with  gazing  at  the  fair  stranger  that  he  did 
not  eat  anything  himself.  Time  passed  fast,  and  she 
never  looked  at  the  clock  until  it  was  a  quarter  to 
twelve.  Immediately  she  rose,  made  a  low  courtesy 
to  the  whole  assembly,  and  retired  in  haste.  Her 
carriage  was  ready  at  the  door  of  the  palace  and  she 
jumped  into  it  and  drove  home  as  fast  as  she  could. 

When  she  reached  the  house  the  coach,  horses, 


CINDERELLA  245 

and  servants  all  disappeared  and  Cinderella  found 
herself  clothed  in  her  old  ragged  gown.  She  waited 
beside  the  fire  for  the  return  of  the  sisters,  eager  to 
know  what  they  would  say  ;  but  she  determined  to 
tell  them  nothing  of  her  own  experiences.  At  length 
they  came  knocking  at  the  door,  and  when  Cin- 
derella let  them  in  she  pretended  to  yawn,  and 
rubbed  her  eyes,  saying,  "  How  late  you  are !  "  just 
as  if  she  had  been  waked  out  of  a  nap. 

"  You  would  not  have  thought  it  late  if  you  had 
been  at  the  ball,"  said  one  of  the  sisters,  "  and  seen 
the  beautiful  princess  who  was  there." 

"What  princess  was  she?"  asked  Cinderella. 
"  What  was  her  name  ?  " 

"  We  do  not  know  her  name,"  was  the  reply  ; 
"  nor  does  anybody,  and  the  king's  son  would  give 
a  fortune  to  learn  who  she  is." 

"  If  she  is  so  beautiful  as  all  that,  how  I  would 
like  to  see  her  !  "  exclaimed  Cinderella.  "  Oh,  my 
Lady  Charlotte,"  said  she,  addressing  the  elder  sister, 
"  do  lend  me  the  yellow  dress  you  wear  every  day, 
that  I  may  put  it  on  and  go  to  the  ball  to-morrow 
evening  and  have  a  peep  at  this  wonderful  princess." 

"  What !  lend  my  clothes  to  a  common  kitchen 
girl  like  you  ! "  cried  Miss  Charlotte,  "  I  would  n't 
think  of  such  a  thing." 


246  CINDERELLA 

Cinderella  expected  to  be  refused,  and  was  not 
sorry,  for  she  would  have  been  very  much  puzzled 
what  to  do  had  the  yellow  dress  really  been  lent  to 
her. 

On  the  following  evening  the  sisters  again  went  to 
the  court  ball,  and  shortly  after  their  departure  the 
good  fairy  came  to  Cinderella  and  told  her  to  pre- 
pare to  go  also.  A  touch  of  the  fairy's  wand  served 
to  clothe  Cinderella  even  more  richly  than  she  had 
been  clothed  on  the  previous  occasion.  The  equip- 
age she  had  used  the  night  before  conveyed  her  to 
the  palace,  and  she  was  ushered  into  the  ball-room 
with  every  attention.  The  prince  was  rejoiced  to 
see  her  and  never  once  left  her  side  the  evening 
through.  He  talked  so  charmingly  that  she  forgot 
all  about  the  time,  and  the  clock  began  to  strike 
twelve  when  she  thought  it  no  more  than  eleven. 

At  once  she  sprang  up  and  ran  as  nimbly  as  a 
deer  out  of  the  room,  and  was  going  in  great  haste 
down  the  broad  staircase  that  led  to  the  palace 
entrance  when  one  of  her  slippers  dropped  off.  She 
could  not  wait  to  pick  it  up,  for  the  clock  had 
reached  its  final  stroke,  and  then  in  a  twinkling  she 
was  a  gay  lady  no  more,  but  only  a  shabby  kitchen 
girl  hurrying  down  the  steps.  The  splendid  coach 
and  six  horses,  the  driver  and  footmen  had  vanished, 


CINDERELLA  247 

and  on  the  ground  lay  a  scooped-out  pumpkin,  while 
six  mice,  a  rat,  and  two  lizards  were  scurrying  away 
to  find  hiding-places. 


Cinderella  reached  home  quite  out  of  breath,  and 
of  her  grand  apparel  nothing  remained  save  a  little 
glass  slipper.  When  the  sisters  returned  from  the 
ball  Cinderella  asked  them  whether  they  had  been 
well  entertained  and  whether  the  beautiful  princess 
was  there. 


248  CINDERELLA 

"  Yes,"  they  replied,  <c  we  enjoyed  the  ball  very 
much  and  the  princess  was  there,  but  she  ran  away 
just  as  the  clock  struck  twelve,  and  no  one  knows 
who  she  is  any  more  than  they  did  before." 

When  Cinderella  fled  the  prince  had  stood  in 
amazement  a  moment  and  then  pursued  her,  but 
she  was  too  swift  for  him.  However,  as  he  was 
running  down  the  stairway  he  noticed  the  little 
glass  slipper  that  she  had  lost  and  he  picked  it  up. 
Then  he  went  on  and  questioned  the  guards  at  the 
palace  gates  whether  they  had  seen  a  princess  going 
out.  "  No,"  said  they,  "  the  only  person  who  has 
passed  out  of  the  gates  for  over  an  hour  is  a  poorly 
dressed  girl  just  gone,  and  how  such  a  person  as 
she  happened  to  be  in  the  palace,  we  cannot  tell." 

The  prince,  during  the  days  following,  caused 
inquiries  to  be  made  everywhere  for  the  princess, 
and  when  the  search  failed  he  grew  ill  with  disap- 
pointment. Then  the  king,  who  dearly  loved  his 
son,  called  a  council  and  asked  his  ministers  what 
they  thought  ought  to  be  done  in  order  to  discover 
the  princess. 

"  It  is  my  advice,"  said  the  chief  minister,  "  that 
you  should  cause  a  proclamation  to  be  made  all 
over  the  kingdom  that  the  prince  will  marry  her 
whose  foot  the  slipper  he  found  will  just  fit." 


CINDERELLA  249 

This  plan  was  adopted,  and  the  slipper  was  tried 
on  by  all  the  noble  ladies  of  the  land  —  but  in  vain. 
Then  it  was  carried  from  one  fine  house  to  another 
among  the  gentry,  until  at  last  it  came  to  the  home 
of  the  proud  sisters.  Each  of  them  did  all  she 
possibly  could  to  thrust  her  foot  into  the  dainty 
slipper,  but  the  attempt  failed.  Cinderella,  who 
was  present,  now  laughed  and  said,  "  Suppose  I 
were  to  try." 

The  sisters  ridiculed  her.  "  What  an  idea ! " 
they  said,  "  to  think  of  its  fitting  your  clumsy 
foot." 

But  the  gentleman  who  had  brought  the  slipper 
looked  at  Cinderella  and  said  that  it  was  no  more 
than  fair  she  should  have  the  chance  she  asked, 
for  he  had  orders  to  let  every  young  maiden 
in  the  kingdom  who  pleased  try  on  the  slipper. 
So  Cinderella  sat  down  while  the  sisters  looked  on 
contemptuously ;  yet  no  sooner  did  she  put  her 
little  foot  to  the  slipper  than  it  went  on  at  once 
and  fitted  like  wax.  The  sisters  were  amazed,  and 
their  astonishment  increased  tenfold  when  Cinderella 
drew  the  mate  to  the  slipper  from  her  pocket  and 
put  it  on  the  other  foot. 

Just  at  that  moment  the  fairy  appeared,  and 
touching  Cinderella's  clothes  with  her  wand  made 


250  CINDERELLA 

them  once  more  the  robes  of  a  princess,  and  then 
the  two  sisters  recognized  her  for  the  beautiful 
stranger  they  had  seen  at  the  ball. 

Now  the  gentleman  in  waiting  conducted  Cinder- 
ella away  to  the  palace  of  the  prince.  She  was 
received  by  the  prince  with  great  joy,  and  in  a  short 
time  they  were  married,  and  they  lived  happily 
ever  after. 


HOP-O'-MY-THUMB 

THERE  was  once  a  wood-cutter  and  his  wife 
who  had  seven  children,  all  boys.  The 
eldest  was  only  twelve  years  old,  and  the 
youngest  was  five,  and  none  of  them  was  large 
enough  to  do  much  toward  earning  a  living,  so  that 
their  parents  had  to  work  very  hard  to  get  food  and 
clothing  for  them.  What  made  matters  worse  was 
that  the  youngest  child  was  sickly  and  weak,  and 
he  was  so  small  that  his  father  and  mother  called 
him  Hop-o'-my-Thumb.  Yet  the  little,  weak  boy 
was  gifted  with  a  great  deal  of  sense,  and  though 
he  never  had  much  to  say,  he  noticed  all  that  went 
on  around  him.  The  year  that  he  was  five  the 
harvest  failed  and  the  wood-cutter  and  his  wife  found 
it  more  and  more  difficult  to  supply  their  large  family 
with  food.  Finally  they  had  spent  their  last  penny 
and  there  was  only  a  single  loaf  of  bread  left  in  the 
house,  and  when  that  was  eaten  they  knew  they 
must  starve. 

That  evening,  after  the  children  were  all  in  bed, 
the  father  and  mother  sat  by  the  fire  thinking  sadly 


252  HOP-O'-MY-THUMB 

of  the  dismal  fate  that  awaited  them.  "  My  dear 
wife,"  said  the  wood-cutter  at  length,  "  I  have  some- 
thing to  propose  to  you.  It  is  plain  that  we  must 
perish,  but  I  cannot  bear  to  see  our  children  die  of 
hunger,  and  I  am  resolved  to  lose  them  to-morrow 
in  the  forest.  They  cannot  be  worse  off  than  they 
are  at  home,  and  perhaps  the  fairies  will  take  care  of 
them.  We  will  go  very  deep  into  the  woods,  and 
while  the  children  are  busy  tying  up  fagots  we  will 
slip  away  and  leave  them." 

"  No,  no,"  said  the  wife,  "  I  could  never  do  such 
a  thing." 

"  But  if  we  don't  do  that,"  said  the  wood-cutter, 
"  they  will  die  here  before  our  eyes,  crying  with 
hunger,"  and  he  argued  until  his  wife  consented  to 
his  plan,  and  then  she  went  weeping  to  bed. 

The  parents  thought  the  children  were  all  asleep 
while  they  talked.  However,  Hop-o'-my-Thumb 
was  wide  awake  and  he  heard  what  was  said  and  he 
never  slept  any  that  night  for  thinking  of  what  he 
should  do.  Early  in  the  morning  he  crept  out  of 
bed  and  ran  to  a  brook  near  the  house  and  filled  his 
pockets  with  small  white  pebbles.  Then  he  went 
back  indoors,  and  by  and  by  the  family  ate  half  of 
the  one  loaf  of  bread  and  started  as  usual  for  their 
day's  woVk  in  the  forest. 


HOP-O'-MY-THUMB  253 

The  father  led  the  way  and  Hop-o'-my-Thumb, 
who  came  along  behind  all  the  others,  dropped 
the  white  pebbles  one  by  one  from  his  pockets. 
The  wood-cutter  kept  on  into  the  very  thickest 
of  the  woods,  and  then  he  began  chopping  with 
his  ax,  and  the  mother  and  children  picked  up 
the  brush  and  tied  it  into  bundles.  They  worked 
thus  until  toward  nightfall,  when  the  parents  stole 
away,  and  as  soon  as  they  were  out  of  their  chil- 
dren's sight  they  hurried  back  to  their  home. 
There  they  sat  silent  in  the  lonely  house  for  a 
long  time,  and  the  sun  went  down  and  it  was 
getting  dark.  Then  came  a  rap  at  the  door,  and 
in  walked  a  man  who  had  been  sent  by  the  lord 
of  the  manor  with  a  present  of  ten  crowns  and  a 
haunch  of  venison. 

"  My  lord,  the  baron,  is  sorry  for  the  distress  of 
his  people,"  said  the  man,  "  and  he  is  going  to  help 
them,  and  those  who  have  large  families  like  you  are 
to  get  the  most." 

The  man  then  departed  to  convey  assistance  to 
another  suffering  household.  "  Oh  !  "  cried  the  wife, 
"  if  only  our  children  were  here  to  eat  of  this  good 
food.  Let  us  go  to  the  forest  and  find  them." 

"  No,"  responded  the  husband  sorrowfully,  "  it 
would  do  no  good  to  seek  them  now.  If  the  fairies 


254  HOP-O'-MY-THUMB 

have  not  taken  care  of  them  they  must  have  been 
eaten  by  wolves  before  this  time." 

Then  the  mother  wept  and  would  not  be  comforted. 
"  I  want  my  children,"  she  wailed. 

But  the  children  had  not  been  eaten  by  wolves. 
As  soon  as  they  discovered  that  they  were  alone, 
Peter,  the  oldest  boy,  began  to  call,  "Father  and 
mother,  where  are  you  ?  " 

No  voice  answered  him,  and  then  he  and  all  the 
little  boys  except  Hop-o'-my-Thumb  ran  hither  and 
thither  shouting  for  their  parents  and  crying. 
Hop-o'-my-Thumb  waited  until  he  could  make 
himself  heard,  and  then  said,  "  Fear  not,  brothers, 
our  father  and  mother  have  left  us  here,  but  I  will 
lead  you  safely  home." 

"  And  why  did  they  leave  us  ?  "  asked  Peter. 

Hop-o'-my-Thumb  told  them  what  he  had  over- 
heard and  how  he  had  strewed  the  white  pebbles  to 
guide  them  back.  "  Just  follow  me,"  said  he  ;  "  and 
let  us  start  at  once,  for  it  will  soon  be  dark." 

So  keeping  his  eyes  on  the  line  of  pebbles,  he 
hurried  along,  and  the  others  followed  him.  They 
reached  home,  but  because  their  parents  had  aban- 
doned them  they  were  afraid  they  would  not  be 
welcome,  and  instead  of  going  in  they  huddled  under 
a  window  at  the  back  of  the  house  to  listen.  They 


HOP-O'-MY-THUMB  255 

heard  the  man  come  with  the  money  and  the  venison, 
and  when  their  mother  began  to  cry  they  ran  around 
to  the  front  of  the  house  and  in  at  the  door,  shouting, 
"  Here  we  are,  mother  !  " 

She  hugged  them  every  one,  and  now,  instead  of 
crying  for  sorrow,  she  cried  for  gladness.  The 
wood-cutter  was  rejoiced,  too,  and  he  helped  start 
a  fire,  and  soon  some  slices  of  venison  were  broiling 
before  the  flames  and  the  family  was  presently  eating 
the  best  supper  they  had  had  for  a  long  time. 

Several  weeks  passed,  and  while  the  venison  and 
the  money  lasted  the  wood-cutter  got  along  very 
well,  but  the  famine  grew  worse  and  worse,  and  the 
lord  of  the  manor  could  not  send  his  tenants  any 
more  supplies.  So  at  last  the  wood-cutter  thought 
his  family  must  surely  starve,  and  he  and  his  wife 
talked  the  matter  over  late  one  night  and  decided 
they  would  take  the  children  again  into  the  forest 
and  lose  them. 

They  talked  in  whispers,  that  Hop-o'-my-Thumb 
might  not  know  what  they  said  even  if  he  chanced 
to  be  awake,  but  he  had  very  keen  ears  and  he  heard 
in  spite  of  their  caution.  He  thought  he  would 
get  some  more  pebbles  in  the  morning,  but  when 
morning  came  the  parents  kept  a  sharp  watch  of 
him  and  would  not  let  him  go  out  of  the  house. 


256  HOP-O'-MY-THUMB 

He  was  much  troubled  by  this  at  first.  How- 
ever, the  mother  gave  them  each  a  slice  of  dry 
bread  for  their  breakfast,  and  Hop-o'-my-Thumb 
said  to  himself,  "  I  can  use  bread  crumbs  instead  of 
pebbles,"  and  he  put  his  slice  of  bread  into  his 
pocket. 

They  went  deeper  than  ever  into  the  forest  this 
time,  and  Hop-o'-my-Thumb  followed  behind  the 
others  and  scattered  bread  crumbs  all  the  way.  The 
day  was  spent  in  working,  as  was  their  custom,  but 
toward  evening  the  father  proposed  the  children 
should  play  a  game  of  hide  and  seek,  and  while  they 
were  playing  he  and  the  mother  hurried  off  and  left 
them. 

When  the  children  found  that  they  had  been 
deserted  again  there  was  much  bitter  crying,  but 
Hop-o'-my-Thumb  said,  "  Do  not  weep,  my  dear 
brothers.  I  will  take  you  home." 

They  then  started  to  follow  the  trail  of  bread 
crumbs,  but  the  birds  had  eaten  them  all  up,  and  the 
children  were  very  much  distressed.  "  Well,"  said 
Hop-o'-my-Thumb  after  thinking  a  minute,  "we 
must  not  waste  the  twilight  in  tears.  Come  along, 
and  we  will  see  if  we  can  find  some  shelter  for  the 
night." 

So  Hop-o'-my-Thumb  led  the  way.     Night  came 


HOP-O'-MY-THUMB  257 

on,  and  the  wind  among  the  trees  seemed  to  them 
like  the  howling  of  wolves,  so  that  every  moment 
they  thought  they  would  be  eaten  up.  They  hardly 
dared  speak  a  word.  Presently  Hop-o'-my-Thumb 
climbed  to  the  top  of  a  tall  tree  to  look  about  for 
some  path  out  of  the  forest.  He  saw  no  path,  but 
far  away  was  a  light  shining.  "  There  must  be  a 
house  where  that  light  is,"  said  he,  and  though  he 
could  not  see  the  light  when  he  returned  to  the 
ground,  he  knew  which  direction  to  take. 

The  little  boys  hurried  along  and  by  and  by  they 
came  out  of  the  forest,  and  there  stood  a  great 
castle.  The  light  Hop-o'-my-Thumb  had  seen 
shone  through  an  open  door.  They  went  to  the 
door  and  looked  in  and  saw  a  woman  busy  at  a 
fireplace  roasting  a  whole  sheep.  Hop-o'-my- 
Thumb  rapped  to  attract  her  attention. 

"  What  do  you  want  ?  "  said  she,  turning  and 
looking  at  them. 

"  We  are  poor  children  who  have  lost  our  way  in 
the  forest,"  replied  Hop-o'-my-Thumb,  "  and  we 
beg  you  for  charity's  sake  to  grant  us  a  night's 
lodging." 

"Alas  !  my  little  darlings,"  said  the  woman,  "you 
do  not  know  where  you  are  come.  This  is  the 
house  of  an  ogre  who  would  like  nothing  better 

17 


258  HOP-O'-MY-THUMB 

than  to  eat  you.  I  am  the  cook  here  and  I  know 
very  well  what  he  likes  to  eat." 

"Then  what  can  we  do?"  said  Hop-o'-my- 
Thumb ;  "  for  if  you  refuse  to  give  us  shelter  the 
wolves  will  tear  us  to  pieces  in  the  forest." 

"  Well,  perhaps  I  can  hide  you,"  the  old  woman 
responded;  "so  you  may  come  in,"  and  as  soon 
as  they  entered  the  room  she  shut  the  door. 

The  children  went  to  the  fire  and  sat  down  to 
warm  themselves.  Just  as  they  were  beginning  to 
get  warm  they  heard  heavy  footsteps  outside. 
"  That  is  the  ogre,"  said  the  woman  in  a  whisper. 
"  Make  haste  and  crawl  under  the  bed." 

No  sooner  were  they  out  of  sight  than  the  ogre 
walked  in.  "  Is  my  supper  ready  ?  "  he  asked,  and 
sat  down  at  the  table. 

The  old  woman  called  in  another  servant  and  the 
two  of  them  lifted  the  sheep  that  was  roasting 
before  the  fire  onto  a  great  platter,  and  then  took 
up  the  platter  and  placed  it  before  the  ogre.  The 
sheep  was  half  raw,  but  he  liked  it  that  way.  When 
he  had  finished  he  began  to  sniff  right  and  left. 
"  I  smell  fresh  meat ! "  he  said. 

"  It  must  be  the  calf  I  have  skinned  and  hung  in 
the  pantry  for  your  breakfast,"  explained  the  old 
woman. 


HOP-O'-MY-THUMB  259 

Then  the  ogre  looked  toward  the  fireplace  and 
saw  a  little  shoe  lying  there  that  one  of  the  boys 
had  taken  off.  The  ogre  stamped  over  to  the  fire- 
place and  picked  up  the  shoe.  "  What  is  this?  "  he 
asked  in  a  terrible  voice. 

"  Why,  that  must  be  a  shoe  which  belongs  to 
your  oldest  daughter's  doll,"  said  the  cook. 

At  that  moment  poor  Peter,  who  happened  to 
have  a  bad  cold,  sneezed. 

"Ah!"  exclaimed  the  ogre  shaking  his  fist  at 
the  cook,  "  you  have  been  deceiving  me,  and  I 
would  eat  you  if  you  were  not  so  old  and  tough." 

Then  he  dragged  the  children  from  under  the 
bed  and  never  paid  the  least  heed  to  their  appeals 
for  mercy.  He  would  have  eaten  one  or  two  of 
them  that  night,  but  the  old  woman  said,  "  See  how 
lean  they  are.  They  have  been  half  starved. 
They  will  be  much  fatter  if  we  feed  them  for  a 
few  days." 

The  ogre  took  up  Hop-o'-my-Thumb  and 
pinched  his  arms.  "  You  are  right,"  said  he ; 
"this  child  is  nothing  but  bones." 

Then  the  woman  gave  the  boys  a  good  supper 
and  put  them  to  bed,  and  they  were  so  tired  that 
they  fell  asleep  at  once  and  did  not  wake  till 
morning.  Hop-o'-my-Thumb  was  on  the  watch 


260  ftOP-O'-MY-THUMB 

all  that  day  for  some  chance  to  escape,  but  the  ogre 
had  seven  daughters  and  he  ordered  them  to  keep 
the  boys  from  straying.  The  daughters  had  small 
gray  eyes  and  large  mouths  and  long  sharp  teeth. 
They  were  young  and  not  very  vicious  as  yet ;  but 
they  showed  what  they  would  be,  for  they  had 
already  begun  to  bite  little  boys,  and  their  captives 
did  not  in  the  least  enjoy  their  company. 

When  night  came  and  all  the  family  had  gone  to 
bed,  Hop-o'-my-Thumb  lay  awake  until  every  one 
else  was  asleep,  and  then  he  roused  his  brothers  and 
whispered,  "  Come,  we  must  be  off." 

They  all  dressed  quickly  and  quietly  and  followed 
him,  and  he  led  the  way  downstairs  and  out  a  back 
door  into  the  garden,  and  by  climbing  up  some 
vines  that  grew  on  the  wall  they  got  outside.  They 
did  not  dare  go  far  for  fear  of  wolves,  and  they 
crept  into  a  heap  of  straw  that  lay  beside  the  wall 
and  waited  for  daylight.  Hop-o'-my-Thumb 
thought  he  could  find  the  way  home  by  keeping 
along  the  edge  of  the  forest,  and  as  soon  as  there 
was  light  enough  for  them  to  see  they  started. 

The  ogre  was  not  an  early  riser  and  he  did  not 
think  of  the  boys  until  after  he  had  eaten  break- 
fast. He  was  very  angry  when  they  were  not  to 
be  found.  "  Quick !  "  he  shouted  to  his  cook. 


The  ogre  in  bis  seven-league  boots  bunts  for  Hop-  O'  -  My-  Thumb 
and  bis  brothers 


HOP-O'-MY-THUMB  263 

"get  me  my  seven-league  boots,  that  I  may  go 
and  catch  them." 

With  those  magic  boots  he  could  go  a  great 
distance  at  a  single  step,  and  he  would  have  caught 
the  little  boys  at  once  if  he  had  known  just  where 
to  look  for  them.  As  it  was,  he  hunted  in  every 
direction.  He  strode  from  hill  to  hill  and  stepped 
over  wide  rivers  as  easily  as  if  they  had  been  brooks. 
Late  in  the  afternoon  the  boys  had  arrived  within 
about  a  mile  of  home,  and  they  were  hurrying 
along  a  hillside  when  they  saw  the  ogre  coming 
in  their  direction.  Luckily  he  had  not  seen  them 
and  they  scurried  into  a  cave  that  chanced  to  be 
close  by. 

The  ogre  had  done  so  much  racing  about  that 
he  was  tired,  and  when  he  came  to  the  hillside 
where  the  boys  were  he  lay  down  over  the  very 
cave  in  which  they  had  taken  refuge,  and  there  he 
went  to  sleep  and  snored  with  a  sound  like  thunder 
that  frightened  the  little  boys  very  much.  "  Now," 
said  Hop-o'-my-Thumb  to  his  brothers,  "  the  rest 
of  you  run  away  home.  I  'm  going  to  see  if  I 
can  get  those  boots." 

When  they  had  gone  he  crept  up  to  where  the 
ogre  lay  and  gently  pulled  off  his  boots  and  got 
into  them  himself.  The  boots  as  worn  by  the  ogre 


264  HOP-O'-MY-THUMB 

were  very  large  and  heavy,  but  they  were    magic 
boots  that  fitted  themselves  to  whatever  feet  were 


put   into    them,   and  so   they  were  just  right  for 
Hop-o'-my-Thumb. 

The  ogre  had  been  partly  awakened  when  his 
boots  were  pulled  off,  and  Hop-o'-my-Thumb 
scarcely  had  time  to  get  them  on  his  own  feet 
before  the  giant  suddenly  opened  his  eyes  and  sat 
up.  He  saw  what  had  happened  and  he  roared 
with  anger.  Off  went  Hop-o'-my-Thumb  and 
the  ogre  jumped  to  his  feet  and  gave  chase.  But 
he  was  no  match  for  the  speed  of  the  little  lad 
with  the  seven-league  boots.  Not  far  from  where 
the  giant  had  lain  down  was  a  precipice,  and 
Hop-o'-my-Thumb  stepped  off  th" ;  cliff  to  a  hill- 
top opposite.  The  ogre,  who  was  rushing  after 
him,  forgot  that  he  did  not  have  the  boots  on  and 
must  be  cautious,  and  he  fell  from  the  cliff  with 


HOP-O'-MY-THUMB  265 

a  crash  that  made  the  rocks  echo  far  and  near,  and 
that  was  the  end  of  him. 

While  Hop-o'  my-Thumb  had  been  at  the  ogre's 
house  he  had  fc  and  out  where  the  ogre  kept  his 
money,  and  there  was  a  little  window  to  the  treasure- 
room  too  small  for  any  ordinary  person  to  get 
through,  but  which  would  admit  Hop-o'-my-Thumb 
easily.  "  Unless  I  can  get  some  of  that  money  to 
buy  food  with,"  said  he,  "  my  father  and  mother  and 
all  the  rest  of  us  will  starve ; "  and  he  decided  he 
would  go  and  see  what  he  could  do. 

His  boots  took  him  to  the  ogre's  house  in  a 
twinkling,  and  he  slipped  in  at  the  little  window  of 
the  treasure-room  and  loaded  himself  down  with  all 
the  gold  he  could  carry.  Then  he  went  home,  and 
his  father  and  mother  were  very  happy  to  have  their 
children  all  back,  and  with  the  money  Hop-o'-my- 
Thumb  brought  they  got  all  the  food  they  needed 
and  passed  through  the  famine  quite  comfortably. 


BEAUTY  AND   THE   BEAST 

THERE  was  once  a  wealthy  merchant  who 
had  six  children,  three  sons  and  three 
daughters  ;  and  he  loved  his  children  more 
than  he  loved  his  riches  and  was  always  trying  to 
make  them  happy.  The  three  daughters  were  very 
handsome,  but  the  youngest  was  the  most  attractive 
of  all.  While  she  was  little  she  was  called  Beauty, 
and  when  she  grew  up  she  still  kept  the  same  name 
—  and  she  was  as  good  as  she  was  beautiful.  She 
spent  much  of  her  time  studying,  and  when  not  en- 
gaged with  her  books  she  was  busy  doing  all  she 
could  to  make  her  home  pleasant  for  her  father. 
The  older  sisters  were  not  like  Beauty.  They  were 
proud  of  their  riches  and  cared  little  for  study,  and 
they  were  constantly  driving  in  the  parks  or  attending 
balls,  operas,  and  plays. 

Thus  things  went  along  until  misfortunes  began 
to  overtake  the  merchant  in  his  business,  and  one 
evening  he  came  home  and  told  his  family  that 
storms  at  sea  had  destroyed  his  ships,  and  fire  had 
burned  his  warehouses.  "  My  riches  are  gone/' 


BEAUTY   AND   THE   BEAST  267 

said  he,  "  and  I  have  nothing  I  can  call  my  own  but 
a  little  farm  far  off  in  the  country.  To  that  little 
farm  we  must  all  go,  now,  and  earn  our  daily  living 
with  our  hands." 

The  daughters  wept  at  the  idea  of  leading  such  a 
different  life,  and  the  older  ones  said  they  would  not 
go,  for  they  had  plenty  of  friends  who  would  invite 
them  to  stay  in  the  town.  But  they  were  mistaken. 
Their  friends,  who  were  numerouj  when  the  family 
was  rich,  now  kept  away  and  said  one  to  the  other, 
"We  are  sorry  for  the  merchant  and  his  family,  of 
course.  However,  we  have  cares  of  our  own,  and 
we  could  n't  be  expected  to  help  them  ;  and,  really, 
if  those  two  older  girls  are  having  their  pride 
humbled  it  is  no  more  than  they  deserve.  Let  them 
go  and  give  themselves  quality  airs  milking  the  cows 
and  minding  their  dairy  and  see  how  they  like  it." 

So  the  family  went  to  live  on  the  little  farm  in  the 
country,  and  the  merchant  and  his  sons  ploughed 
and  sowed  the  fields,  and  Beauty  rose  at  four  o'clock 
every  morning  to  get  breakfast  for  them.*  After  the 
breakfast  things  were  out  of  the  way  she  busied 
herself  about  the  other  housework,  and  when  there 
was  nothing  else  to  do  she  would  sit  at  her  spinning- 
wheel,  singing  as  she  spun,  or  perhaps  would  take  a 
little  time  for  reading.  The  work  was  hard  at  first, 


268  BEAUTY   AND   THE   BEAST 

yet  when  she  became  used  to  it  she  enjoyed  it,  and 
her  eyes  were  brighter  and  her  cheeks  more  rosy 
than  ever  before. 

Her  two  sisters  did  not  change  their  habits  so 
easily,  and  they  were  wretched.  They  were  always 
thinking  of  the  wealth  they  had  lost,  and  they  did 
not  get  up  till  ten  o'clock  and  did  very  little  work 
after  they  were  up,  but  spent  most  of  the  time 
sauntering  about  and  complaining. 

A  year  passed  and  then  the  merchant  received 
news  that  one  of  his  ships  which  he  had  believed  to 
be  lost  had  come  safely  into  port  with  a  rich  cargo. 
This  news  nearly  turned  the  heads  of  the  two 
eldest  daughters,  who  thought  that  now  they  could 
soon  leave  the  little  farm  and  return  to  the  gay  city. 
As  soon  as  their  father  made  ready  to  go  to  the 
port  to  attend  to  the  unlading  and  sale  of  the 
ship's  cargo  they  begged  him  to  buy  them  new 
gowns  and  hats  and  all  manner  of  trinkets. 

Then  the  merchant  said,  "  And  what  shall  I  bring 
you,  Beauty  ? " 

"  The  only  thing  I  wish  for  is  to  see  you  come 
home  safely,"  she  answered. 

Her  father  was  pleased,  but  he  thought  she 
ought  to  tell  him  of  something  he  might  bring  her 
from  the  town.  "  Well,  dear  father,"  said  she, 


BEAUTY   AND   THE   BEAST  269 

"  as  you  insist,  I  would  like  to  have  you  bring 
me  a  rose,  for  I  have  not  seen  one  since  we 
came  here." 

The  good  man  noWset  out  on  his  journey,  but 
when  he  reached  th£  port  he  found  that  a  former 
partner  had  taken/charge  of  the  ship's  goods  and 
disposed  of  them. /  The  man  would  not  turn  over 
the  money  he  h$l  received  to  the  merchant,  and 
the  merchant  was  obliged  to  sue  for  it  in  the 
courts.  But  what  he  recovered  barely  paid  the 
costs,  and  at  the  end  of  six  months  of  trouble  and 
expense  he  started  for  his  little  farm  as  poor  as 
when  he  came. 

He  travelled  day  after  day  until  he  was  within 
thirty  miles  of  home,  and  he  was  thinking  of  the 
pleasure  he  would  have  in  seeing  his  children  again 
when  he  lost  his  way  in  a  great  forest  through  which 
he  had  to  pass.  Night  caAie  on  cold  and  rainy, 
and  the  poor  man  grew  $int  with  hunger.  But 
presently  he  saw  bright  ligfts  some  way  off  shining 
through  the  trees,  and  heJtjurned  his  horse  toward 
them  and  soon  came  intf  a  long  avenue  of  great 
oaks.  This  led  to  a  spfencjid  palace  that  was  lit 
from  top  to  bottom.  Yet  when  the  merchant 
entered  the  courtyard  no  one  met  him,  and  when 
he  halooed  he  received  no  answer.  His  horse  kept 


270  BEAUTY  AND   THE   BEAST 

on  toward  an  open  stable  door,  and  he  dismounted 
and  led  the  creature  inside  and  hitched  it  to  a 
manger  that  was  full  of  hay  and  oats. 

The  merchant  now  sought  the  castle  and  went 
into  a  la!  -  hall  where  he  found  a  good  fire,  and 
a  table  pit  fully  set  with  food,  but  not  a  soul 
did  he  see.  While  he  stood  by  the  fire  drying 
himself  he  said,  "  How  fortunate  I  am  to  find 
such  shelter,  for  I  should  have  perished  this  stormy 
night  out  in  the  forest.  But  I  can't  imagine  where 
the  people  of  this  house  can  be,  and  I  hope  its 
master  will  excuse  the  liberty  I  have  taken." 

He  waited  for  some  time  and  the  clock  struck 
eleven.  No  one  came,  and  then,  weak  for  want  of 
food,  he  sat  down  at  the  table  and  ate  heartily  ;  yet 
all  the  while  he  was  fearful  that  he  was  trespassing 
and  might  be  severely  deah  with  for  his  presumption. 
After  he  had  finished  eating  ~  ielt  less  timid  and 
he  concluded  he  would  look  for  a  chamber.  So 
he  left  the  hall  and  passed  through  several  splendid 
rooms  till  he  came  to  one  in  which  was  a  comfort- 
able bed,  and  there  he  spent  the  night. 

On  awaking  the  following  morning  he  was  sur- 
prised to  find  a  new  suit  of  clothes  laid  out  for  him 
on  a  chair  by  the  bedside,  marked  with  his  name, 
and  with  ten  gold  pieces  in  every  pocket.  His  own 


BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST  271 

clothes,  which  were  much  the  worse  for  wear  and  had 
been  wet  through  by  the  storm,  had  disappeared. 
"  Surely,"  said  he,  "this  palace  belongs  to  some  kind 
fairy  who  has  seen  and  pitied  my  distresses/* 

In  the  hall  where  he  had  supped  the  nip^t  before 
he  found  the  table  prepared  for  his  bre  xast,  and 
after  he  had  eaten  he  went  out  into  a  0^eat  garden 
full  of  beautiful  flowers  and  shrubbery.  As  he 
walked  along  he  passed  under  a  bower  of  roses. 
"  Ah,"  said  he  stopping,  "  I  had  no  money  when  I 
left  the  town  to  buy  the  gifts  my  older  daughters 
wanted,  and  my  mind  has  been  so  full  of  my  troubles 
that  I  have  not  thought  of  the  rose  for  which 
Beauty  asked,  until  this  moment.  She  shall  have 
one  of  these,"  and  he  reached  up  and  plucked  one. 

No  sooner  had  he  done  this  than  a  great  beast 
came  suddenly  forth  from  a  side  path  where  he  had 
been  hidden  by  a  ..edge  and  stood  before  the 

merchant.  "  This  place  is  mine,"  said  the  beast  in 
his  deep,  gruff  voice.  "Why  do  you  pick  my 
flowers?  " 

'  Forgive  me,  my  lord,"  begged  the  merchant, 
throwing  himself  on  his  knees  before  the  beast.  "  I 
did  not  know  I  was  giving  offence.  I  only  wanted 
to  carry  a  rose  to  one  jf  my  daughters." 

"  You  have  daughters,  have  you  ?  "  said  the  beast. 


BEAUTY  AND   THE   BEAST 


"  Now,  listen  !  This  palace  is  lonely  and  I  want 
one  of  your  daughters  to  come  here  and  live." 

"Oh,  sir!"  cried  the  merchant,  "do  not  ask 
that." 

"  Nothing  else  will  appease  me,"  the  beast  re- 
sponded. "  I  promise  no  harm  will  be  done  her. 
So  take  the  rose  you  have  picked  and  go  at  once  and 


BEAUTY  AND   THE    BEAST  273 

tell  your  daughters  what  I  have  said ;  and  in  case 
not  one  of  them  will  come  you  must  return  yourself 
and  be  prisoned  for  the  rest  of  your  days  in  the 
palace  dungeon." 

"  My  lord/'  replied  the  merchant,  "  I  shall  not 
let  a  child  of  mine  suffer  for  me,  and  you  may  as 
well  lock  me  up  in  your  dungeon  now  as  later." 

"  No,"  the  beast  said,  "  you  go  home  and  consult 
with  your  daughters  first." 

"  I  am  in  your  power,"  said  the  merchant,  "  and 
I  can  only  obey  you." 

Then  he  went  to  the  stable  and  mounted  his 
horse  and  by  night  he  reached  home.  His  children 
ran  out  to  greet  him,  but  instead  of  receiving  their 
caresses  with  pleasure  the  tears  rolled  down  his 
cheeks,  and  he  handed  the  rose  to  Beauty,  saying, 
"  Little  do  you  think  how  dear  that  will  cost  your 
poor  father  ;  "and  he  related  all  the  sad  adventures 
that  had  befallen  him.  "  To-morrow,"  said  the 
merchant  in  closing,  "I  shall  return  to  the  beast." 

"  I  can't  let  you  do  that,  dear  father,"  said  Beauty. 
"  I  am  going  in  your  stead." 

"  Not  so,  sister,"  cried  her  three  brothers,  "we 
will  seek  out  the  monster  and  either  kill  him  or  die 
ourselves." 

"  You  could  accomplish  nothing,"    declared  the 

il 


274  BEAUTY  AV~         ^    BEAST 

merchant,  "  for  he  lives  m  a  enchanted  palace  and 
has  invisible  helpers  with  whan  you  could  not  hope 
to  contend  successfully." 

"  How  unfortunate  it  all  is  !  "  said  the  older  girls. 
r<  What  a  pity,  Beauty,  that  you  did  not  do  as  we 
did  and  ask  for  something  sensible." 

"  Well,"  said  Beauty,  "  who  could  have  guessed 
that  to  ask  for  a  rose  wculd  cause  so  much  misery  ? 
However,  the  fault  is  plainly  mine,  and  I  shall  have 
to  suffer  the  consequence^," 

Her  father  tried  to  dissu  ^  her  from  her  purpose, 
but  she  insisted,  and  the  ,  ->rning  he  mounted 

his  horse  and,  with  Beauty  sitting  behind  him,  he 
started  for  the  beast's  palace-.  "They  arrived  late  in 
the  afternoon  and  rode  down  the  long  avenue  of 
oaks  and  into  the  silent  courtyard  to  the  door  of  the 
stable  where  the  horse  had  been  kept  before.  Then 
they  dismounted,  and  after  the  merchant  had  led  the 
horse  into  the  stable  and  seen  it  comfortably  housed 
for  the  night  they  went  into  the  palace. 

A  cheerful  fire  was  blazing  in  the  big  hall  and  the 
table  was  daintily  spread  with  most  delicious  food. 
They  sat  down  to  this  repast,  but  were  too  sad  to 
eat  much  and  were  soon  through.  Just  then  the 
beast  came  in  and  addressed  the  merchant.  "  Honest 
man,"  said  he, "  I  am  glad  that  you  could  be  trusted. 


BEAUTY      N^  THE   BEAST  275 

I  was  rude  and  thix*  _n.~&  toward  you  yesterday, 
but  it  seemed  neceseiry.  However,  in  the  end,  I 
think  you  will  have  nothing  :o  regret.  Spend  the 
night  here  and  to-morrow  go  your  way." 

"  This  is  my  daughter,  Beauty,"  said  the  merchant 
The  beast  bowed  and  said,  "  My  lady,  I  am  ve.y 
grateful  to  you  for  coming,  and  I  beg  you  to  re- 
member that  I  am  not  wUat  you  think  me.  But  I 
cannot  tell  you  what  I  really  am,  for  I  am  under  a 
spell.  This  spell  I  hot  e  you  will  be  able  to  re- 


move." 


So  saying,  thf  ;  withdrew  and  left  the 

n  erchant  and  his  u.  ghter  sitting  by  the  fire. 
"  What  the  beast  n..  .s,"  said  the  merchant,  "  I  do 
not  know  ;  but  he  talks  very  courteously." 

Then  they  sat  long  in  silence,  but  at  last  arose ; 
and  they  each  hunted  up  a  chamber  and  retired  to 
try  to  sleep. 

On  the  morrow  they  found  breakfast  prepared  for 
them  in  the  hall,  and  after  they  had  eaten,  the 
merchant  bade  his  daughter  an  affectionate  farewell. 
He  went  to  the  stable  for  his  horse.  It  was  all 
ready  for  him  to  mount,  and  to  his  surprise  the 
saddlebags  were  full  of  gold.  "  Ah,  well!  "  said  he, 
"  here  is  wealth  once  more,  but  it  cannot  make  up 
for  the  loss  of  my  dear  daughter." 


276  BEAUTY  AND  THE   BEAST 

Beauty  watched  him  ride  away.  As  soon  as  he 
was  gone  she  threw  herself  down  on  a  cushioned 
window-seat  and  cried  till  she  fell  asleep ;  and  while 
she  slept  she  dreamed  she  was  walking  by  a  brook 
bordered  with  trees  and  lamenting  her  sad  fate,  when 
a  young  prince,  handsomer  than  any  man  she  had 
ever  seen,  came  to  her  and  said,  "  Ah,  Beauty,  you 
are  not  so  unfortunate  as  you  suppose.  You  will 
have  your  reward." 

She  awoke  late  in  the  day  a  good  deal  refreshed 
and  comforted,  and  after  a  little  she  decided  she 
would  walk  about  and  see  something  of  the  palace 
in  which  she  was  to  live.  She  found  much  to  admire 
and  presently  came  to  a  door  on  which  was  written 

BEAUTY'S  ROOM. 

She  opened  the  door  and  entered  a  splendidly 
furnished  apartment  where  were  a  multitude  of 
books  and  pictures,  a  harpsichord  and  many  com- 
fortable chairs  and  couches.  She  picked  up  a  book 
that  lay  on  a  table,  and  on  the  fly-leaf  she  found 
written  in  golden  letters  these  words : 

"  Your  wishes  and  commands  shall  be  obeyed. 
You  are  here  the  queen  over  everything." 

"Alas!"  she  thought,  "my  chief  wish  just  at 
this  moment  is  to  see  what  my  poor  father  is 
about." 


BEAUTY  AND   THE   BEAST 


277 


While  she  was  thinking  this  she  perceived  some 
movement  in  a  mirror  on  the  wall  in  front  of  her, 


and  when  she  looked  into  the  mirror  she  saw  her 
father  arriving  home  and  her  sisters  and  brothers 
meeting  him.  The  vision  faded  quickly  away,  but 
Beauty  felt  very  thankful  she  had  been  allowed  such 
a  pleasure.  "  This  beast  shows  a  great  deal  of  kind- 
ness," said  she,  glancing  about  the  attractive  room. 
"  He  must  be  a  far  better  creature  than  we  have 
imagined." 

She  did  not  see  the  beast  until  evening,  and  then 
he  came  and  asked  if  he  might  sup  with  her,  and 


BEAUTY  AND  THE   BEAST 

she  replied  that  he  could.  But  she  would  much 
rather  have  eaten  alone,  for  she  could  not  help 
trembling  in  his  presence.  As  long  as  they  sat  at 
the  table  soft,  beautiful  music  was  played,  though 
whence  it  came  or  who  were  the  musicians  she  could 
not  discover.  The  beast  talked  to  Beauty  with 
great  politeness  and  intelligence,  yet  his  gruff  voice 
startled  her  every  time  he  spoke.  When  they  had 
nearly  finished  he  said,  "  I  suppose  you  think  my 
appearance  extremely  ugly." 

"Yes,"  said  Beauty,  "for  I  cannot  tell  a  lie,  but 
I  think  you  are  very  good." 

"  You  show  a  most  gracious  spirit,"  said  the  beast, 
"in  not  judging  me  wholly  by  my  uncouth  exterior. 
I  will  do  anything  I  can  to  make  you  happy  here." 

"  You  are  very  kind,  Beast,"  she  replied.  "  In- 
deed, when  I  think  of  your  good  heart,  you  no 
longer  seem  to  me  so  ugly." 

As  they  rose  from  the  supper  table,  the  beast  said, 
"  Beauty,  do  you  think  you  could  ever  care  enough 
for  me  to  kiss  me  ?  " 

She  faltered  out,  "  No,  Beast,"  and  he  turned  and 
left  the  room  sighing  so  deeply  that  she  pitied  him. 

In  the  days  and  weeks  which  followed  Beauty 
saw  no  one  save  the  beast,  yet  there  were  invisible 
servants  who  did  everything  possible  for  her  comfort 


BEAUTY  AND   THE   BEAST  279 

and  pleasure.  She  and  the  beast  always  had  supper 
together,  and  his  conversation  never  failed  to  be 
entertaining  and  agreeable.  By  degrees  she  grew 
accustomed  to  his  shaggy  ugliness  and  learned  to 
mind  it  less  and  to  think  more  of  his  many  amiable 
qualities.  The  only  thing  that  pained  her  was  that 
when  he  was  about  to  leave  her  at  the  end  of  supper 
he  was  sure  to  ask  if  she  thought  she  could  some- 
time care  enough  for  him  to  kiss  him. 

Three  months  passed,  and  one  day  Beauty  looked 
in  her  mirror  and  saw  a  double  wedding  at  her 
father's  cottage.  Her  sisters  were  being  married  to 
two  gentlemen  of  the  region.  Not  long  afterward 
her  mirror  showed  her  that  her  three  brothers  had 
enlisted  for  soldiers  and  her  father  was  left  alone. 
A  few  days  more  elapsed  and  she  saw  that  her  father 
was  sick.  The  sight  made  her  weep,  and  in  the 
evening  she  told  the  beast  what  her  mirror  had 
revealed  to  her  and  that  she  wished  to  go  and  nurse 
her  father. 

"  And  will  you  return  at  the  end  of  a  week  if  you 
go  ?  "  asked  the  beast. 

"  Yes,"  she  replied. 

"  I  cannot  refuse  anything  you  ask,"  said  he. 
"  I  will  have  a  swift  horse  ready  for  you  at  sun- 
rise to-morrow." 


280  BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST 

The  next  day  at  sunrise  Beauty  found  the  swift 
horse  saddled  for  her  in  the  courtyard,  and  away 
she  went  like  the  wind  through  the  forest  toward  her 
father's  cottage.  When  she  arrived,  the  old  merchant 
was  so  overjoyed  at  seeing  her  that  his  sickness 
quickly  left  him  and  the  two  spent  a  most  happy 
week  together. 

As  soon  as  the  seven  days  were  past  she  returned 
to  the  castle  of  the  beast,  which  she  reached  late  in 
the  afternoon.  Supper  time  came  and  the  food 
was  served  as  usual,  but  the  beast  was  absent  and 
Beauty  was  a  good  deal  alarmed.  "  Oh,  I  hope 
nothing  has  happened  to  him,"  she  said.  "  He 
was  so  good  and  considerate." 

After  waiting  a  short  time  she  went  to  look  for 
the,  beast.  She  ran  hastily  through  all  the  apart- 
ments of  the  palace,  but  the  beast  was  not  there  ; 
and  then  in  the  twilight  she  hurried  out  to  the 
garden,  and  by  the  borders  of  a  fountain  she 
found  the  beast  lying  as  if  dead. 

"  Dear,  dear  Beast,"  she  cried,  dropping  on  her 
knees  beside  him,  "what  has  happened?  "  and  she 
leaned  over  and  kissed  his  hairy  cheek. 

At  once  a  change  came  over  the  beast,  and  on  the 
grass  beside  the  fountain  lay  a  handsome  prince. 
He  opened  his  eyes  and  said  feebly,  "  My  lady,  I 


BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST  281 

thank  you.  A  wicked  magician  had  condemned 
me  to  assume  the  form  of  an  ugly  beast  until  some 
beautiful  maiden  consented  to  kiss  me.  But  I  think 
you  are  the  only  maiden  in  the  world  kind-hearted 
enough  to  have  had  affection  for  me  in  the  ugly 
form  the  magician  had  given  me.  When  you 
went  away  to  your  father  I  was  so  lonely  I  could 
no  longer  eat  or  amuse  myself,  and  I  became  so 
weak  that  to-day,  when  I  was  walking  here  in  the 
garden,  I  fell  and  could  not  rise." 

Then  Beauty  filled  a  cup  with  water  from  the 
fountain  and  lifted  him  up  so  that  he  could  drink. 
That  revived  him  somewhat  and  with  her  help  he 
rose  to  his  feet.  The  enchantment  had  been  re- 
moved from  the  palace  as  well  as  from  the  prince, 
and  the  servants  were  no  longer  invisible. 

"  Call  for  help,"  said  the  prince ;  and  when  she 
called,  several  men  instantly  came  to  their  aid  and 
carried  the  prince  to  the  palace.  Once  there, 
warmth,  food,  and  happiness  went  far  toward  restor- 
ing him.  The  next  morning  he  sent  for  Beauty's 
father  to  come  and  make  his  home  with  them,  and 
not  long  afterward  Beauty  and  the  prince  were 
married  and  they  lived  with  great  joy  and  con- 
tentment in  their  palace  ever  after. 


THE  FATE  OF  A  LITTLE  OLD 
WOMAN 

LAST  Monday  morning  at  six  o'clock  in  the 
evening,  as  I  was  sailing  over  the  tops  of  the 
mountains  in  my  little  boat,  I  met  two  men 
on  horseback  riding  on  a  donkey  ;  and  I  asked 
them  could  they  tell  me  whether  the  little  old 
woman  was  dead  yet  who  was  hanged  a  week  ago 
Friday  for  drowning  herself  in  a  shower  of 
feathers. 

"No,"  said  they,  "we  cannot  inform  you;  but 
if  you  will  go  to  the  next  town  beyond  the 
mountains  and  call  on  Sir  Gammer  Vans  he  can 
tell  you  all  about  it." 

"  But  how  am  I  to  know  fais  house  ?  "  I  asked. 

"Ho  !  'tis  easy  enough,"  they  replied,  "for  'tis 
a  wooden  house  built  of  brick,  standing  alone  by 
itself  in  the  midst  of  sixty  or  seventy  other  houses 
just  like  it." 

"  Then  nothing  in  the  world  can  be  easier,"  said 
I,  and  I  went  on  my  way. 


THE  FATE  OF  A  LITTLE  OLD  WOMAN     283 

This  Sir  Gammer  Vans  was  a  giant,  and  when  I 
got  to  his  house  he  popped  out  of  a  little  thumb- 
bottle  from  behind  the  door. 


"  How  d'  ye  do  ?  "  says  he. 
"Very  well,  I  thank  you,"  says  I. 
"  Have    some    supper    with    me    this  morning," 
says  he. 

"  Certainly,"  says  I. 


284     THE  FATE  OF  A  LITTLE  OLD  WOMAN 

So  he  gave  me  a  slice  of  coffee  and  a  cup  of  cold 
beef;  and  there  was  a  big  dog  under  the  table  who 
picked  up  all  the  crumbs. 

When  we  had  finished  drinking  the  beef  and 
eating  the  coffee,  I  said,  "  Sir  Gammer,  do  you 
happen  to  know  whether  the  little  old  woman 
is " 

But  I  said  no  more,  for  at  that  moment  we  heard 
a  distant  shouting  and  Sir  Gammer  Vans  interrupted 
me  by  saying,  "  I  wonder  if  that  can  be  my  bird- 
hunter  who  catches  fish  for  me?" 

"  Why  not  go  to  the  door  and  look  out  of  the 
window  and  see?"  I  asked. 

"  So  I  would,"  said  he,  "  but  I  have  the  gout  in 
my  left  foot  a  trifle  above  my  right  knee  which 
makes  it  painful  for  me  to  move  about.  Pray,  go 
in  my  stead  and  tell  me  if  you  can  see  any  one  just 
out  of  sight  beyond  the  woods  that  grow  in  the  bare 
field  where  my  wheat  is  ripening  for  the  harvest." 

I  looked  as  he  requested.  "  Yes,"  I  replied,  "  I 
see  a  man  running  in  this  direction  as  fast  as  he  can 
walk." 

"  Ah,"  said  Sir  Gammer  Vans,  "  he  is  no  doubt 
bringing  me  a  fish." 

Soon  the  man  arrived  and  was  admitted  to  the 
house.  At  once  he  took  a  fine  salmon  from  an 


THE  FATE  OF  A  LITTLE  OLD  WOMAN     285 

empty  basket  he  carried,  and  said,  "  I  shot  that 
salmon  with  my  club  as  it  was  flying  over  a  barn  in 
the  valley  on  the  next  hilltop." 

"Very  good  !  "  says  Sir  Gammer,  "and  now  you 
may  get  it  ready  for  us  to  eat  for  breakfast  this 
evening." 

So  the  man  put  the  fish  in  a  pot  of  water  turned 
bottom  upwards  on  the  fire,  and  when  it  had 
boiled  for  three  hours  he  took  the  salmon  out  hard 
frozen  and  made  it  into  the  best  apple-pie  I  ever 
tasted. 

We  ate  the  pie  all  up  that  evening  for  breakfast. 
Then  I  rode  away  in  my  little  boat  over  the  mountain 
tops,  and  Sir  Gammer  Vans  had  not  told  me 
whether  or  not  the  little  old  woman  was  dead  who 
had  been  hanged  for  drowning  herself  in  a  shower 
of  feathers ;  for  I  had  forgotten  to  ask  him. 


THE   DONKEY,  THE  TABLE, 
AND   THE  STICK 

THERE  was  once  a  poor  tailor  who  had  a 
son  named  Jack ;    and  they  two  were  all 
there  was  to  the  family,  unless  we  count  the 
goat  that  gave  them  the  milk  they  had  to  drink. 
They  took  very  good  care  of  the  goat  and  Jack  led 
her  every  day  down  to  the  riverside  where  the  grass 
grew  greenest,  that  she  might  have  plenty  to   eat. 
In  the  evening  Jack  would  go  down  by  the  river  to 
fetch  the  goat  home.     "Well,  goat,"  he 
would  say,  "  have  you  had  enough  ?  " 
And  the  goat  would  reply, 

"I  am  so  full 

I  cannot  pull 
Another  blade  of  grass — ba!  baa!" 


THE  DONKEY,  THE  TABLE,  AND  THE  STICK     287 

"  Then  come  along,"  Jack  would  say,  and  he 
would  tie  a  cord  to  the  goat's  neck  and  lead  her 
home  to  her  stall  and  fasten  her  up. 

Afterward  he  would  tell  his  father  that  he  had 
brought  the  goat  home,  and  his  father  would  ask, 
"  Has  the  goat  had  plenty  to  eat  to-day  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes  ! "  Jack  would  answer,  "  she  is  so  full 
she  no  more  can  pull." 

But  one  evening  the  tailor  was  looking  at  the 
goat  and  he  thought  she  seemed  rather  thin,  and  he 
said,  "  My  dear  goat,  are  you  full  ?" 

And  the  goat  replied, 

"  How  can  I  be  full  ? 

There  was  nothing  to  pull, 
Though  I  looked  all  about  me  —  ba!  baa!  " 

"  What  is  this  I  hear  ? "  cried  the  tailor,  angrily, 
for  he  had  a  hasty  temper.  "My  son  has  been 
deceiving  me  then." 

He  went  to  the  house  and  found  Jack.  "You 
said  the  goat  was  full ! "  he  shouted,  "  and  she  has 
been  hungry  all  the  time." 

The  tailor  was  so  enraged  that  Jack  was  afraid  he 
was  going  to  beat  him,  and  the  lad  hurried  out  of 
the  house  and  down  the  road  as  fast  as  he  could 
go.  "The  farther  I  get  the  better,"  said  he,  "for 


288     THE  DONKEY,  THE  TABLE,  AND  THE  STICK 

it  will  be  a  good  while  before  I  shall  dare  show  my 
face  at  home  again." 

So  the  next  day  there  was  no  Jack  to  take  the 
goat  to  the  feeding-place  by  the  waterside,  and  the 
tailor  had  to  lead  her  there  himself.  The  food  was 
plentiful  and  he  said  to  her,  "  Now  for  once  you  can 
eat  to  your  heart's  content." 

Then  he  went  back  to  his  work,  and  in  the 
evening  he  came  to  get  the  goat,  and  he  said  to 
her,  "  Well,  goat,  are  you  full  ?  " 

And  the  goat  answered, 

"I  am  so  full 

I  could  not  pull 
Another  blade  of  grass  —  ba  !   baa  ! ' ' 

"  Come  home  then,"  said  the  tailor,  and  he  led 
her  to  her  stall  and  fastened  her  up.  "  You  are 
full  this  time,"  he  said  as  he  was  leaving  her; 
but  the  goat  said, 

"  How  can  I  be  full  ? 

There  was  nothing  to  pull, 
Though  1  looked  all  about  me  —  ba  !  baa  !  " 

When  the  tailor  heard  that  he  knew  the  goat  was 
not  speaking  the  truth.  "  If  she  lies  to-day,"  said 
he,  "  no  doubt  she  lied  yesterday,  and  I  have  made 
a  mistake  in  not  believing  my  son." 


THE  DONKEY,  THE  TABLE,  AND  THE  STICK     289 

Then  he  laid  hold  of  the  goat  and  exclaimed, 
"  Wait  a  minute,  you  ungrateful  beast !  I  will  give 
you  a  beating  that  you  will  long  remember !  " 

He  picked  up  a  stout  stick,  dragged  the  goat 
from  her  stall  and  belabored  her  very  heartily  until 
she  broke  away  from  him  and  ran  off.  Week  after 
week  passed,  and  the  tailor  felt  very  sad.  He  was 
all  alone  and  there  was  not  a  day  that  he  did  not 
wish  his  son  would  return  home,  but  no  one 
knew  where  Jack  had  gone. 

Now  what  had  happened  to  Jack  was  this  —  he 
ran  and  he  ran  until  he  ran  right  up  against  a 
little  old  woman  who  was  walking  along  the  road. 
"  Whither  so  fast,  my  lad  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  replied  Jack.  "  I  have 
left  home  to  go  out  in  the  wide  world  and  seek 
my  fortune,  and  I  was  in  a  hurry." 

"  Why  not  apprentice  yourself  to  my  husband 
then  ? "  said  the  old  woman.  "  He  is  a  miller  and 
he  needs  a  helper,  and  I  can  promise  you  that  he 
will  pay  good  wages." 

/  Jack  promptly  agreed  to  accept  the  work  offered, 
for  he  was  very  hungry  and  tired.  So  the  old 
woman  took  Jack  to  the  mill,  and  he  served  the 
miller  for  a  year  and  a  day.  Then  the  miller 
told  Jack  he  would  pay  him  his  wages.  "  You 

'9 


290    THE  DONKEY,  THE  TABLE,  AND  THE  STICK 

have  behaved  very  well,"  said  he,  cc  and  I  am  going 
to  give  you  a  donkey,  but  this  donkey  will  draw  no 
cart  and  carry  no  sack." 

"  What  is  the  good  of  him  then  ?  "  asked  Jack. 

"He  spits  out  gold  and  silver,"  replied  the  miller. 
"  You  have  but  to  pull  one  of  his  ears  and  he  will 
begin  at  once  to  c  He-haw  !  he-haw  ! '  and  when  he 
brays  there  will  drop  from  his  mouth  silver  six- 
pences and  half-crowns  and  golden  guineas." 

"  Very  good,"  said  the  lad,  and  he  thanked  the 
miller  and  set  forth,  leading  the  donkey  behind  him. 
"  I  shall  have  no  cares,  now,"  said  Jack.  "  My 
purse  will  be  always  full,  and  wherever  I  go  I 
shall  live  on  the  best." 

By  and  by  he  stopped  at  an  inn,  and  the  landlord 
was  for  taking  the  donkey  from  him  to  tie  him  up, 
but  Jack  said,  "  Oh,  no,  you  need  not  trouble  to  do 
that.  I  will  go  to  the  stable  with  him  myself,  and 
then  I  shall  know  where  to  find  him." 

So  the  young  apprentice  took  his  donkey  to 
the  stable  and  afterward  went  into  the  inn  and 
ordered  as  good  a  supper  as  the  landlord  could  pro- 
vide. The  innkeeper  stared,  for  he  did  not  think 
that  a  man  who  took  care  of  his  own  donkey  could 
have  much  to  spend,  and  he  refused  to  serve  him 
without  being  paid  beforehand.  "  You  need  not 


THE  DONKEY,  THE  TABLE,  AND  THE  STICK     291 

worry,"  said  Jack,  "  I  can  get  plenty  of  money," 
and  he  went  off  to  the  stable,  pulled  one  of  the 
donkey's  ears  and  got  a  pocket  full  of  gold  and 
silver. 

The    landlord    wondered   what   Jack    meant    by 
saying    he    could    get    plenty  of  money.     "  I  will 


follow  the  lad  and  see  where  he  keeps  his  wealth," 
he  said. 

So  the  landlord  slipped  after  Jack  and  saw 
everything  he  did  through  a  crack  in  the  stable 
door.  "  Dear  me  !  "  said  he,  "  that  is  an  easy  way 
of  getting  ducats.  A  purse  of  money  such  as 
that  donkey  seems  to  be  is  no  bad  thing." 

After  Jack  had  eaten  supper  and  gone  to  bed  the 
landlord  visited  the  stable  again,  and  this  time  he 


292     THE  DONKEY,  THE  TABLE,  AND  THE  STICK 

led  the  gold  donkey  away  and  tied  another  in  his 
place. 

The  next  morning,  early,  the  apprentice  went  to 
the  stable  and  got  the  donkey,  never  doubting  that 
he  had  the  right  one.  "  I  will  go  back  to  my  father, 
now,"  said  he.  "  His  anger  must  have  cooled  long 
ago,  and  when  he  knows  I  have  this  gold  donkey  he 
will  receive  me  kindly." 

By  noon  he  came  to  his  father's  house,  and  his 
father  was  rejoiced  to  see  him.  "  What  trade  have 
you  taken  up,  my  son?"  said  he,  after  the  first 
greetings  were  over  with. 

"  I  am  a  miller,  dear  father,"  answered  Jack. 

"  And  what  have  you  brought  home  with  you  to 
show  for  your  year's  work?"  asked  the  father. 

"  I  have  brought  home  a  donkey,"  said  Jack, 
"  that  furnishes  me  with  more  money  than  I  know 
what  to  do  with.  Why,  with  that  donkey  I  can 
make  you  rich  with  no  trouble  at  all !  " 

"  That  is  very  fine,"  said  the  tailor.  "  I  am 
getting  old,  and  it  is  irksome  work  snipping  and 
sewing  so  unceasingly.  I  have  Jong  wanted  to  quit 
it.  -I  suppose  now  I  need  not  labor  with  my  needle 
any  more." 

"No,"  replied  Jack,  "  throw  your  needle  away  and 
call  in  the  neighbors.  I  will  make  them  rich,  too." 


THE  DONKEY,  THE  TABLE,  AND  THE  STICK     293 

So  the  tailor  rushed  out  and  went  from  house  to 
house  telling  all  the  people  of  the  village  the  good 
news.  Soon  they  came  flocking  back  with  him  and 
then  Jack  made  them  a  speech  as  they  stood  round- 
about the  house,  and  after  that  he  led  his  donkey 
into  the  midst  of  the  crowd  and  began  pulling  the 
beast's  ears.  But,  though  Jack  pulled  and  pulled 
and  the  donkey  he-hawed  and  he-hawed,  no  silver 
or  gold  was  forthcoming.  The  crowd  laughed,  and 
the  tailor  was  so  angry  at  Jack  that  the  young  man 
thought  his  father  was  going  to  thrash  him  and  he 
took  to  his  heels.  He  ran  and  ran  till  he  came 
bang  against  a  door  and  burst  it  open,  and  there  he 
was  in  a  carpenter's  shop. 

"You  seem  to  be  in  great  haste,"  said  the  carpenter. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Jack,  "  but  I  will  go  no  farther  if 
you  will  give  me  work." 

"  All  right,"  the  carpenter  responded,  "  be  my 
apprentice  and  I  will  pay  you  well." 

Jack  agreed,  and.  he  served  the  carpenter  for 
a  year  and  a  day.  Then  the  master  said,  "  I  will 
now  give  you  your  wages.  I  will  let  you  have 
ten  shillings  in  money,  which  will  very  likely 
come  handy,  and  you  may  take  this  little  table. 
When  you  are  hungry  you  have  only  to  say, 
'  Table,  be  covered,'  and  at  once  it  will  have  a 


294     THE  DONKEY,  THE  TABLE,  AND  THE  STICK 

clean  cloth  on  it  and  dishes  and  lots  to  eat  and 
drink/' 

The  young  apprentice  thought  he  was  set  up  for 
life,  and  he  put  the  ten  shillings  in  his  pocket  and 
took  the  table  on  his  back  and  went  merrily  on  his 
way.  At  length  he  came  to  the  inn  where  he  had 
stopped  the  year  before.  It  was  full  of  guests,  but 
they  bade  Jack  welcome,  and  asked  him  to  sit  down 
with  them  to  eat,  as  otherwise  he  might  not  be  able 
to  get  anything. 

"  You  are  very  kind,"  said  Jack,  "  yet  I  am  not 
so  badly  off  as  you  think,  and  instead  of  accepting 
your  invitation  I  will  ask  you  all  to  share  with  me  a 
feast  of  my  own  providing." 

Then  they  laughed,  for  they  thought  he  was 
joking;  but  he  brought  in  his  little  wooden  table 
and  said,  "  Table,  be  covered  ! " 

Without  delay  the  table  was  set  with  much  better 
food  than  the  landlord  had  been  able  to  give  his 
guests,  and  the  odor  of  it  greeted  their  noses  very 
agreeably.  "  Fall  to,  my  good  friends,"  said  Jack, 
and  the  guests,  when  they  understood  how  things 
were,  needed  no  second  asking. 

They  went  at  the  food  most  valiantly,  and  as  often 
as  a  dish  was  emptied  a  full  one  took  its  place.  All 
the  while  the  landlord  stood  in  a  corner  watching 


THE  DONKEY,  THE  TABLE,  AND  THE  STICK     295 

proceedings  with  keen  interest.  "  Such  cooking  as 
that  would  make  my  inn  prosper,"  said  he  to  himself. 

When  at  last  the  party  broke  up,  Jack  left  his 
wishing-table  standing  against  the  wall  and  went  to 
bed.  The  landlord  locked  up  and  went  to  bed  also, 
but  he  could  not  sleep  for  thinking  of  Jack's  table. 
He  remembered  that  he  had  in  his  attic  an  old  table 
very  like  it,  and  finally  he  got  up  and  fetched  that 
table  down  and  exchanged  it  for  Jack's.  Jack,  none 
the  wiser,  rose  the  next  day  early,  paid  his  reckoning, 
took  the  worthless  table  on  his  back  and  set  off  to 
see  his  father.  He  never  once  stopped  by  the  way, 
not  even  for  breakfast,  and  by  nine  o'clock  he 
reached  his  father's  house.  The  tailor  was  rejoiced 
to  see  his  son,  and  asked  him  what  he  had  been  doing 
all  the  long  year  that  he  had  been  gone. 

"Oh,"  said  Jack,  "I  have  learned  to  be  a 
carpenter." 

"  That  is  a  good  trade,"  said  the  tailor,  "  and 
what  have  you  brought  back  with  you  ? " 

"  I  have  brought  this  little  table,"  Jack  responded. 

The  tailor  looked  at  it  on  all  sides.  "  Rather  a 
rubbishing  old  table,  I  call  it,"  said  he. 

"  But  it  is  a  very  wonderful  one,"  explained  Jack. 
"  I  can  ask  that  table  for  anything  I  please  in  the 
line  of  food  and  drink  and  it  furnishes  what  I  call 


296     THE  DONKEY,  THE  TABLE,  AND  THE  STICK 

for  in  no  time.  Let  us  invite  the  neighbors  to 
come  and  we  will  all  feast  and  enjoy  ourselves/' 

So  the  tailor  hastened  to  get  the  neighbors 
together,  and  then  Jack  put  his  table  in  their  midst 
and  said,  "  Table,  be  covered  ! " 

But  nothing  came  of  his  command,  and  the  table 
remained  just  as  empty  as  any  other  table  that  does 
not  understand  talking.  Jack  felt  very  foolish  then, 
and  the  company  joked  him  freely  and  his  father 
began  to  upbraid  him  and  grew  more  and  more 
wrathful,  and  the  young  man  was  frightened  and  had 
no  doubt  his  father  was  about  to  chastise  him  with 
his  cane.  So  he  got  away  as  fast  as  his  legs  would 
carry  him,  and  he  ran  and  ran  until  he  tumbled 
into  a  river.  A  man  who  happened  to  be  near 
by  pulled  him  out  and  said,  "  I  suppose  you  are 
not  looking  for  work  or  you  would  not  be  going 
so  fast." 

"  No,"  said  Jack,  "I  was  not  looking  for  anything, 
but  I  want  work,  nevertheless." 

"  Well,"  said  the  man,  "  I  have  a  turning  shop 
here  on  the  river  bank,  and  I  will  take  you  for  an 
apprentice  and  pay  you  well." 

So  Jack  worked  for  the  turner  a  year  and  a  day, 
and  then  his  master,  to  reward  him  for  his  labor  and 
his  good  conduct,  handed  him  a  few  shillings  in 


THE  DONKEY,  THE  TABLE,  AND  THE  STICK     297 

money,  and  after  that  gave  him  a  sack  and  told 
him  there  was  a  stick  inside  of  it. 

"  The  sack  may  be  of  use  to  me,"  said  Jack, 
"  but  what  is  the  good  of  the  stick  ?  " 

"  I  will  tell  you,"  said  the  master.  "  If  any  man 
does  you  harm,  and  you  say,  '  Out  stick,  and  bang 
him  ! '  the  stick  will  jump  out  and  will  drub  him 
soundly  and  will  not  stop  until  you  say,  c  Stick, 
into  the  sack  ! ' 

The  apprentice  thanked  his  master  and  started  on 
his  travels  and  he  was  not  long  in  seeking  the  inn 
where  he  had  formerly  fared  so  badly.  He  ate 
supper,  and  as  he  was  sitting  by  the  inn-room  fire 
afterward  the  landlord  asked,  "  What  is  it  you  have 
in  that  sack  which  you  take  such  care  of?  " 

"  Well,"  replied  Jack,  "  I  don't  propose  to  tell 
you,  but  I  '11  say  this  —  I  would  n't  exchange  what 
I  have  in  that  bag  for  a  thousand  guineas." 

That  roused  the  landlord's  curiosity  more  than 
ever.  "  What  in  the  world  can  it  be  ?  "  thought  he. 
"  Perhaps  he  has  a  lot  of  precious  stones  in  his 
sack." 

By  and  by  Jack  nodded  off  into  a  nap,  and  as  no 
one  else  was  present  the  landlord  laid  hold  of  the 
sack  and  was  taking  it  away  when  Jack  awoke. 
"  Out  stick,  and  bang  him  !  "  he  cried. 


298     THE  DONKEY,  THE  TABLE,  AND  THE  STICK 

At  once  the  stick  flew  from  the  bag  and  battered 
the  innkeeper  on  the  back,  rapped  his  head  and 
bruised  his  arms  and  legs  until  he  fell  groaning  to 
the  floor. 

"  Have  mercy  !  have  mercy!''  begged  the  landlord. 

"  I  will  have  mercy  when  you  give  me  my  table 
and  donkey,"  said  Jack. 

"  You  can  have  anything  you  want,"  said  the 
wretched  man,  "  if  only  you  will  make  this  terrible 
goblin  stick  stop  beating  me." 

"Very  well,"  was  Jack's  response;  and  then  he 
said,  "  Stick,  into  the  sack  ! " 

At  once  the  stick  left  the  man  in  peace  and 
disappeared  into  the  bag,  and  the  landlord  told 
Jack  where  he  kept  the  table  and  the  donkey,  and 
promised  he  should  have  them  whenever  he  chose 
to  take  them.  Then  he  crept  off  to  bed  very  lame 
and  sore. 

The  next  morning  the  landlord  turned  over  to 
Jack  the  gold  donkey  and  the  wishing  table,  and  the 
young  man  set  out  for  his  father's  house.  He 
arrived  an  hour  before  noon  and  the  tailor  was  very 
glad  to  see  him  again  and  asked  what  he  had  learned 
while  he  had  been  away. 

"  My  dear  father,"  answered  Jack,  "  I  have  been 
apprenticed  to  a  turner." 


THE  DONKEY,  THE  TABLE,  AND  THE  STICK     299 

"A  very  ingenious  handicraft,"  said  the  father, 
"  and   what  have  you  brought  back  with  you  ?  " 
"  A  stick  in  a  sack,"  Jack  replied. 


"  What !  "  cried  the  old  tailor,  "a  stick  in  a  sack  ! 
Have  you  gone  crazy  ?  " 

"  But  it  is  not  a  common  stick,"  Jack  explained. 
"  When  any  man  means  harm  to  me  I  simply  say, 
( Out  stick,  and  bang  him!1  and  the  stick  jumps 
from  the  sack  and  gives  the  fellow  such  a  pound- 
ing that  he  is  soon  glad  to  beg  my  pardon.  You 
remember  last  year  I  told  you  about  a  wishing  table 


300     THE  DONKEY,  THE  TABLE,  AND  THE  STICK 

that  supplied  me  with  food,  and  the  year  before  I 
told  you  about  a  donkey  that  furnished  me  with 
money.  Well,  the  table  and  donkey  were  stolen 
from  me  by  a  wicked  innkeeper,  but  with  this  stick 
I  have  recovered  them  both.  Now  let  the  neigh- 
bors all  be  sent  for  and  they  shall  have  the  finest 
feast  they  have  ever  had  in  their  lives  and  I  will  fill 
their  pockets  with  gold." 

So  the  old  tailor  called  the  neighbors  together 
and  the  son  took  his  little  table  and  said,  "  Table, 
be  covered ! "  and  at  once  it  was  set  with  a 
feast  that  kept  the  company  jolly  for  a  long  time. 

After  that  Jack  brought  the  donkey  and  pulled 
his  ears  and  the  money  jingled  out  of  his  mouth 
until  they  all  had  as  much  as  they  could  carry 
away;  and  I  cannot  help  thinking  it  is  a  great  pity 
that  you  and  I  were  not  there. 

The  next  day  the  tailor  took  his  needles  and 
thread,  his  yard  measure  and  his  goose  and  locked 
them  up  in  a  cupboard,  and  he  lived  ever  after  with 
his  son  in  great  ease  and  luxury. 

But  what  became  of  the  goat,  the  unlucky  cause 
of  Jack's  being  driven  from  home?  I  will  tell  you. 
She  ran  to  the  woods  and  into  a  fox's  hole  and 
hid  herself.  When  the  fox  came  home  he  caught 
sight  of  two  great  eyes  staring  at  him  out  of  the 


THE  DONKEY,  THE  TABLE,  AND  THE  STICK     301 

darkness,  and  the  fox  was  so  frightened  that  he 
scampered  away  as  fast  as  he  could  go  until  he  met 
a  bear. 

"  Hold  on,  Brother  Fox  !  "  called  the  bear,  <c  what 
is  the  trouble  that  you  should  be  racing  off  like 
that?" 

"  Oh,  dear  !  "  answered  the  fox,  "  a  grisly  beast  is 
sitting  in  my  hole,  and  he  stared  at  me  with  fiery 
eyes." 

"  I  will  soon  drive  him  out,"  said  the  bear. 

So  he  went  to  the  fox's  hole  and  looked  in ;  but 
when  he  caught  sight  of  the  goat's  gleaming  eyes 
he  too  was  terrified  and  fled  in  great  haste  until  he 
met  a  bee. 

"  Stop,  Brother  Bear,  stop  ! "  called  the  bee. 
"What  has  happened?  I  never  knew  you  to  get 
over  the  ground  so  fast  before,  and  you  have  a 
very  depressed  countenance.  What  has  become 
of  your  high  spirit?" 

"  You  may  well  ask,"  the  bear  replied.  "  In  the 
fox's  hole  there  sits  a  grisly  beast  with  fiery  eyes  and 
neither  the  fox  nor  I  can  drive  him  out." 

"  I  am  a  poor  feeble  little  creature,"  said  the  bee, 
"  and  I  know  you  despise  me,  Bear,  but  I  think  I 
can  help  you." 

So  the  bee  flew  into  the  fox's  hole  and  stung  the 


J02     THE  DONKEY,  THE  TABLE,  AND  THE  STICK 

goat  on  the  head.  Then  the  goat  jumped  and  cried 
"  Baa !  Baa !  "  and  ran  out  like  mad  into  the 
world ;  and  whither  she  went  no  one  knows  to 
this  hour. 


MR.    VINEGAR 

MR.  and  Mrs.  Vinegar  were  very  poor,  and 
they  lived  in  a  shabby  little  house  that 
they  had  built  with  their  own  hands.  It 
was  made  of  old  boards  and  other  rubbish  which  they 
had  picked  up,  and  it  rattled  and  shook  in  every 
high  wind.  One  morning,  Mrs.  Vinegar,  who  was 
a  very  good  housewife,  was  busily  sweeping  her 
kitchen  floor  when  an  unlucky  thump  of  the  broom 
against  the  walls  brought  down  the  whole  house, 
clitter-clatter  about  her  ears.  Mr.  Vinegar  had  gone 
to  a  neighboring  thicket  to  gather  some  fagots,  and 
she  hurried  off  with  much  weeping  and  wailing  to 
tell  him  of  the  disaster.  When  she  found  him  she 
exclaimed, "  Oh,  Mr.  Vinegar  !  Mr.  Vinegar  !  we  are 
ruined,  we  are  ruined  !  I  have  knocked  the  house 
down  and  it  is  all  to  pieces  ! " 

"  My  dear,"  said  Mr.  Vinegar,  "  pray  do  not  weep 
any  more.  I  will  go  back  with  you  and  see  what  can 
be  done." 


304 


MR.    VINEGAR 


So  they  returned,  and  Mr.  Vinegar  said,  "  Yes, 
wife,  the  house  is  all  in  bits  and  we  can  never  live  in 
it  again ;  but  here  is  the  door.  I  will  take  that  on 
my  back  and  we  will  go  forth  to  seek  our  fortune." 


With  his  wife's  help  he  got  the  door  on  his  back, 
and  off  they  started.  They  walked  all  that  day,  and 
by  nightfall  they  were  both  very  tired.  They  had 
now  come  to  a  thick  forest  and  Mr.  Vinegar  said, 
"  My  love,  I  will  climb  up  into  a  tree  with  this  door 
and  you  shall  follow  after." 

So  he  climbed  up  among  the  branches  of  a  great 
tree,  and  when  he  had  adjusted  the  door  at  a  level 
Mrs.  Vinegar  climbed  up  also,  and  they  stretched 


MR.    VINEGAR  305 

their  weary  limbs  on  it  and  were  soon  fast  asleep. 
But  in  the  middle  of  the  night  Mr.  Vinegar  was 
awakened  by  the  sound  of  voices  directly  below  him. 
He  looked  down  and,  to  his  dismay,  saw  that  a 
party  of  robbers  were  met  under  the  tree  to  divide 
some  money  they  had  stolen.  "Jack,"  said  one, 
"  here  's  five  pounds  for  you ;  and  Bill,  here  's  ten 
pounds  for  you  ;  and  Bob,  here  's  three  pounds  for 
you." 

Mr.  Vinegar  was  so  frightened  he  could  listen  no 
longer,  and  he  trembled  so  violently  that  he  shook 
the  door  off  the  branches  on  which  it  lay,  and  he  and 
Mrs.  Vinegar  had  to  cling  to  the  tree  to  save  them- 
selves from  a  bad  tumble.  When  the  door  began  to 
drop  the  noise  it  made  startled  the  robbers  and  they 
looked  up  to  learn  the  cause,  but  no  sooner  did  they 
do  this  than  the  door  came  down  on  their  heads  and 
they  all  ran  away  greatly  terrified. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vinegar,  however,  dared  not  quit 
their  tree  till  broad  daylight.  Then  Mr.  Vinegar 
scrambled  down.  "  I  hope  the  door  was  not  broken 
by  its  fall,"  said  he  as  he  lifted  it. 

Just  then  he  espied  a  number  of  golden  guineas 
that  had  been  beneath  the  door  where  they  had 
been  dropped  on  the  ground  by  the  robbers  in  their 
haste  to  get  away.  "  Come  down,  Mrs.  Vinegar  J  " 


zo 


306  MR.    VINEGAR 

he  cried,  "  come  down,  I  say !  Our  fortune  is 
made  !  Come  down,  I  say  !  " 

Mrs.  Vinegar  came  down  as  quickly  as  she  could 
and  saw  the  money  with  great  delight,  and  when 
they  counted  it  they  found  they  were  the  possessors 
of  forty  guineas.  "  Now,  my  dear,"  said  she,  "  I  '11 
tell  you  what  you  shall  do.  You  must  take  these 
forty  guineas  and  go  to  the  nearest  town  and  buy  a 
cow.  I  can  make  butter  and  cheese  which  you  shall 
sell  at  market,  and  we  shall  then  be  able  to  live  very 
comfortably." 

"  I  will  do  as  you  say,"  replied  Mr.  Vinegar, 
"  and  you  can  stay  here  till  I  return." 

So  he  took  the  money  and  went  off  to  the  nearest 
town ;  and  there  was  a  fair  in  the  town,  and  crowds 
of  people.  When  he  arrived,  he  walked  about  until 
he  saw  a  beautiful  red  cow  that  he  thought  would 
just  suit  him.  "  Oh,  if  I  only  had  that  cow,"  said 
Mr.  Vinegar,  "  I  should  be  the  happiest  man  alive." 

Then  he  offered  the  forty  guineas  for  the  cow  and 
the  owner  was  quite  ready  to  part  with  it  at  that 
price,  and  the  bargain  was  made.  Mr.  Vinegar  was 
proud  of  his  purchase,  and  he  led  the  cow  backwards 
and  forwards  to  show  it.  But  by  and  by  he  saw  a 
man  playing  some  bag-pipes  —  tweedledum,  tweedle- 
dee.  The  children  followed  after  the  bagpipe  man, 


MR.    VINEGAR  307 

and  he  appeared  to  be  pocketing  a  great  deal  of 
money. 

"  What  a  pleasant  and  profitable  life  that  musician 
must  lead,"  said  Mr.  Vinegar.  "  If  I  had  that 
instrument  I  should  be  the  happiest  man  alive,  and 
I  could  earn  far  more  than  with  this  cow." 

So  he  went  up  to  the  man  and  said,  "  Friend, 
what  a  charming  instrument  that  is,  and  what  a  deal 
of  money  you  must  make  !  " 

"  Why,  yes,"  said  the  man  ;  "  I  make  a  great 
deal  of  money,  to  be  sure,  and  it  is  a  wonderful 
instrument." 

"  Oh  ! "  cried  Mr.  Vinegar,  "  how  I  should  like 
to  possess  it !  " 

"  Well,"  said  the  man,  "  I  will  exchange  it  for 
your  red  cow." 

"  Done  !  "  said  the  delighted  Mr.  Vinegar. 

So  the  beautiful  red  cow  was  given  for  the  bag- 
pipes. Mr.  Vinegar  walked  up  and  down  with  his 
purchase,  but  in  vain  he  attempted  to  play  a  tune, 
and  the  children,  instead  of  giving  him  pennies, 
hooted  and  laughed  at  him.  The  day  was  chilly 
and  poor  Mr.  Vinegar's  fingers  grew  very  cold.  At 
last,  heartily  ashamed  and  mortified,  he  was  leaving 
the  town  when  he  met  a  man  wearing  a  fine,  thick 
pair  of  gloves. 


308  MR.    VINEGAR 

"  Oh,  my  fingers  are  so  very  cold ! "  said  Mr. 
Vinegar  to  himself.  "  If  I  had  those  warm  gloves 
I  should  be  the  happiest  man  alive." 

Then  he  went  up  to  the  man  and  said  to  him, 
"  Friend,  you  seem  to  have  a  capital  pair  of  gloves 
there." 

"Yes,  truly,"  replied  the  man,  "these  are  ex- 
cellent gloves." 

"Well,"  said  Mr.  Vinegar,  "I  should  like  to 
have  them.  I  will  give  you  these  bagpipes  for 
them." 

"  All  right,"  said  the  man,  and  he  took  the  bag- 
pipes and  Mr.  Vinegar  put  on  the  gloves  and  felt 
entirely  contented  as  he  trudged  along  toward  the 
forest. 

But  the  farther  he  walked  the  more  tired  he 
became,  until  presently  he  saw  a  man  coming 
toward  him  with  a  good  stout  cane  in  his  hand. 
"Oh!"  said  Mr.  Vinegar,  "if  I  had  that  cane  I 
should  be  the  happiest  man  alive." 

Then  he  said  to  the  man,  "  Friend,  what  a  rare 
good  cane  you  have." 

"  Yes,"  the  man  responded,  "  I  have  used  it  for 
many  a  mile  and  it  has  been  a  great  help." 

"  How  would  it  suit  you  to  give  it  to  me  in 
exchange  for  these  gloves  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Vinegar. 


MR.    VINEGAR 


309 


"  I  will  do  so  willingly,"  replied  the  man. 

"  My  hands  had  become  perfectly  warm,"  said 
Mr.  Vinegar  as  he  went  on  with  his  cane,  "  and  my 
legs  were  very 
weary.  I  could 
not  have  done 
better." 

As  he  drew 
near  to  the  forest 
where  he  had  left 
his  wife  he  heard 
an  owl  on  a  tree 
laughing,  "Hoo, 
hoo,hoo!"  Then 
it  called  out  his 
name  and  he 
stopped  to  ask 
what  it  wanted. 

"  Mr.  Vinegar,"  said  the 
owl,  "you  foolish  man, 
you  blockhead,  you  simpleton  !  you  went  to  the 
fair  and  laid  out  all  your  money  in  buying  a  cow. 
Not  content  with  that,  you  changed  the  cow  for 
some  bagpipes  on  which  you  could  not  play  and 
which  were  not  worth  one  tenth  as  much  as  the  cow. 
Ah,  foolish,  foolish  man  !  Then  you  no  sooner 


3 10  MR.    VINEGAR 

had  the  bagpipes  than  you  changed  them  for  the 
gloves  that  were  worth  not  one  quarter  as  much  as 
the  bagpipes  ;  and  when  you  got  the  gloves  you 
exchanged  them  for  a  cane,  and  now  for  your  forty 
guineas  you  have  nothing  to  show  but  that  poor 
miserable  stick  which  you  might  have  cut  in  any 
hedge.  Hoo,  hoo,  hoo,  hoo,  hoo  !  " 

The  bird  laughed  loud  and  long,  and  Mr. 
Vinegar  became  very  angry  and  threw  his  cane 
at  its  head.  The  cane  lodged  in  the  tree,  and 
Mr.  Vinegar  returned  to  his  wife  without  money, 
cow,  bagpipes,  gloves,  or  stick,  and  she  said  things 
to  him  that  he  liked  even  less  than  what  the  bird 
had  said. 


THE    GIANT   OF   THE   BLACK 
MOUNTAINS 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  hunter  and 
he  had  one  son.  While  this  son  was  still  a 
little  boy  the  hunter  said  to  his  wife,  "  My 
dear,  our  child  will  no  doubt  grow  up  to  be  a  hunter 
just  as  I  am,  and  if  I  should  not  be  alive  when  that 
time  comes  I  wish  you  would  take  care  to  tell  him 
that  he  must  not  go  to  the  Black  Mountains  to  hunt ; 
for  evil  befalls  whoever  goes  thither." 

Soon  afterward  the  hunter  died,  and  in  time  his 
son  grew  up  and  became  a  hunter  as  his  father  had 
been  before  him.  Then  his  mother  said,  "  Son, 
your  father  commanded  me  that  I  should  warn  you 
not  to  go  to  the  Black  Mountains  to  hunt." 

But  the  son  saw  no  good  reason  why  he  should 
not  hunt  there  as  well  as  elsewhere,  and  one  day  he 
took  his  bow  and  arrows,  mounted  his  horse  and 
rode  to  the  Black  Mountains.  At  length  he  was 
among  the  lofty,  forest- clad  ranges,  and  he  could 
not  perceive  but  that  they  were  perfectly  peaceful 


312     THE   GIANT   OF   THE   BLACK   MOUNTAINS 

and   free  from   danger.     "  What  could  my  father 
have  meant  by  his  warning  ? "  he  said  to  himself, 


and  he  kept  riding  on  until  suddenly  a  huge  giant 
appeared  before  him. 

"  How  now ! "  shouted   the   giant,   "  have   you 
never  heard  of  me  that  you  dare  to  come  and  hunt 


THE   GIANT   OF  THE   BLACK   MOUNTAINS     313 

on  my  ground  ?  "  and  he  picked  up  three  great  rocks 
and  hurled  them  in  quick  succession  at  the  intruder ; 
but  the  young  man  contrived  to  dodge  them,  and 
fitting  an  arrow  to  his  bow  he  shot  the  giant  and 
killed  him. 

"  I  understand  my  father's  warning  now,"  said 
the  young  man  ;  "  but  as  this  monster  is  no  longer 
to  be  feared  I  will  seek  out  his  dwelling  and  see 
what  treasure  it  contains." 

So  he  went  farther  into  the  mountains  and  pres- 
ently came  to  a  magnificent  castle.  When  he  drew 
near  to  the  entrance  a  beautiful  maiden  appeared  at 
a  window  and  he  addressed  her  and  asked  to  whom 
the  castle  belonged. 

"  Its  owner  is  a  great  giant  who  will  soon  come 
and  tear  you  in  pieces,"  she  replied.  "  How  dare 
you  venture  among  these  terrible  mountains?" 

"  The  giant  is  dead,"  said  the  young  man.  "  I 
have  killed  him." 

"Ah  then!"  cried  she,  "I  am  free.  I  have 
been  his  prisoner  for  many  years,  and  you  are 
my  deliverer.  Wait  where  you  are  and  I  will 
come  down  and  unlock  the  castle  gates  and  let 
you  in." 

She  soon  had  the  gates  open  and  bade  the  young 
man  welcome,  and  after  he  had  led  his  horse  to  the 


3 14     THE    GIANT   OF   THE   BLACK   MOUNTAINS 

stables  the  beautiful  maiden  conducted  the  young 
man  into  the  palace.  Then  she  told  him  she  was 
the  daughter  of  a  prince,  and  that  the  giant  had 
stolen  her  and  that  she  had  almost  despaired  of  help 
ever  reaching  her.  They  talked  together  for  a  long 
time,  and  they  liked  each  other  so  well  that  before 
they  got  through  talking  the  young  man  asked  the 
princess  to  be  his  wife. 

"  I  am  willing,"  said  she,  "  and  we  can  live  here 
in  the  giant's  castle." 

"  Yes,"  said  he,  "  and  I  can  go  out  hunting  every 
day  among  the  mountains." 

But  there  was  an  old  witch  woman  who  had  a  hut 
in  a  wild  glen  not  far  from  the  castle,  and  when  she 
knew  that  the  giant  was  dead  she  went  secretly  to 
the  body  and  administered  some  magic  medicine  that 
brought  the  giant  to  life.  "  Giant,"  said  she,  when 
she  had  restored  him,  "  the  young  man  who  slew 
you  is  now  in  your  castle.  Go  home  and  punish 
him  as  he  deserves." 

"No,"  said  the  giant,  "  I  want  nothing  more  to 
do  with  him.  He  is  too  clever  with  his  bow  and 
arrows  to  suit  me,  and  I  shall  keep  as  far  away  from 
him  as  I  can." 

"  Well,  then,"  said  the  witch,  "  the  task  of  dispos- 
ing of  him  falls  to  me ;  for  I  do  not  intend  to  have 


THE   GIANT    OF   THE   BLACK   MOUNTAINS    315 

him  staying  here  in  the  mountains,  if  there  is  any 
way  to  prevent  it." 

"  The  quicker  you  get  rid  of  him  the  better,"  said 
the  giant.  "  Send  him  away  on  some  errand  from 
which  he  can  never  come  back." 

"That  is  just  what  I  will  do,"  responded  the 
witch,  "  and  I  promise  you  in  three  days'  time  he  will 
be  gone  to  return  no  more." 

Then  the  witch  went  to  the  palace  and  asked  to 
be  hired  as  a  servant,  and  work  was  given  her  in 
the  kitchen.  It  did  not  take  her  long  to  discover 
how  fond  the  young  man  was  of  the  princess,  and 
on  her  third  day  at  the  palace  she  managed  to  put 
something  into  the  food  the  princess  ate  that  made 
her  sick.  No  sooner  was  this  accomplished  than 
the  witch  said  to  the  young  man,  "  I  fear  your 
princess  will  die." 

"Oh,  no,"  cried  he,  "she  must  not  die.  We 
must  make  her  well  again." 

"  But  there  is  only  one  thing  can  cure  her,"  said 
the  witch,  "and  that  is  the  Melon  of  Life." 

"Then  I  will  get  the  Melon  of  Life,"  said  he, 
"and  I  will  start  for  it  at  once." 

So  he  travelled  all  day  long  and  in  the  evening 
he  came  to  the  house  of  an  old  man,  who  gave  him 
lodging  for  the  night.  He  told  the  old  man  the 


316     THE   GIANT   OF   THE   BLACK   MOUNTAINS 

errand  he  was  on,  and  the  old  man  said,  "  Son,  you 
are  deceived.  The  expedition  is  a  fatal  one.  Do 
not  go." 

But  the  young  man  would  not  be  persuaded  to 
turn  back.  "Well,"  said  the  old  man,  "if  you 
must  have  your  way  I  will  give  you  three  things  to 
take  with  you.  Here  is  a  little  jug  of  water,  and 
here  is  a  comb,  and  here  is  a  knife.  The  Melon  of 
Life  is  guarded  by  fifty  giants,  and  if  they  pursue 
you  throw  these  things  behind  you  one  at  a  time  as 
there  is  need." 

The  young  man  took  the  jug  and  the  comb  and 
the  knife  and  went  his  way,  and  at  last  he  came  to 
the  garden  of  the  fifty  giants.  He  succeeded  in 
getting  into  it  without  being  seen,  and  there  he  found 
the  Melon  of  Life.  This  he  picked,  and  he  wasted 
not  a  moment  in  starting  on  his  return  journey,  but 
in  getting  through  the  garden  hedge  he  cracked 
some  dry  twigs,  and  that  alarmed  the  giants. 

They  looked  around  the  garden  to  learn  what 
had  caused  the  noise,  and  soon  perceived  that  the 
Melon  of  Life  was  gone.  Then  they  set  off  in 
pursuit  of  the  young  man.  When  he  saw  that  they 
were  getting  near  him  he  threw  the  jug  behind  him. 
The  water  in  it  flowed  out  and  covered  the  land 
he  had  just  passed  over  with  a  great  lake. 


THE   GIANT   OF   THE   BLACK   MOUNTAINS     317 

While  the  giants  were  going  around  this  lake  he 
gained  quite  a  distance  on  them.  But  presently  he 
saw  them  coming  again.  Then  he  threw  the  comb 
behind  him  and  there  sprang  up  a  thick  jungle 
through  which  the  giants  had  great  difficulty  in 
forcing  therr  way. 

Thus  he  gained  again  on  his  pursuers.  But  they 
at  length  came  out  of  the  jungle  and  were  on  his  trail 
once  more.  As  soon  as  he  saw  them  he  threw  the 
knife  behind  him,  and  the  land  in  his  rear  was  cov- 
ered with  thorn  bushes,  and  the  thorns  were  like 
sharp  knives. 

This  time  the  young  man  got  entirely  away  from 
the  fifty  giants  and  returned  to  the  Black  Mountains. 
However,  during  his  absence,  the  giant  whom  the 
witch  had  restored  to  life  had  taken  possession  of 
the  castle,  and  the  princess  had  recovered  from  her 
sickness  and  was  locked  up  in  a  dungeon. 

When  the  young  man  approached  the  castle 
the  giant  chanced  to  be  standing  at  the  gates  and 
saw  him  while  he  was  still  at  a  distance.  The  giant 
was  very  much  startled,  for  he  never  expected  that 
the  young  man  would  come  back,  and  as  he  did  not 
care  to  meet  him  he  ran  off  at  once  to  the  forest. 

The  young  man  at  sight  of  the  giant  knew  that 
things  had  gone  wrong  while  he  was  away,  and  he 


318     THE   GIANT   OF   THE   BLACK   MOUNTAINS 

made  all  haste  into  the  castle,  and  the  first  thing  he 
did  was  to  release  the  princess.  She  was  now  quite 
well' and  did  not  need  the  Melon  of  Life  and  he 
locked  it  up  in  a  closet. 

They  did  not  suspect  the  treachery  of  the  witch 
,  woman  and  she  continued  to  work  in  the  kitchen. 
Every  night  she  went  to  see  the  giant  in  the  forest, 
and  they  plotted  how  to  get  rid  of  the  young  man 
once  more.  "I  can  never  go  back  to  my  castle 
while  he  is  alive,"  said  the  giant,  "  but  I  know  an 
easy  way  to  dispose  of  him." 

"  What  is  it  ? "  asked  the  witch. 

"If  you  can  pull  three  hairs  from  his  head  he 
will  die,"  replied  the  giant. 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  witch,  "  I  will  pluck  the 
three  hairs,  though  it  may  be  some  time  before  I 
find  a  good  opportunity." 

So  she  watched  and  watched  until  one  day  the 
young  man  fell  asleep  on  a  couch  in  the  great  hall 
of  the  castle.  Then  the  witch  stole  softly  up  to 
the  couch,  and  selecting  three  hairs  suddenly  pulled 
them  out.  Immediately  the  young  man's  sleep 
became  death,  and  the  witch  hurried  off  to  tell  the 
giant  of  what  she  had  accomplished. 

While  she  was  gone  the  princess  came  in  and 
found  the  young  man  dead,  and  she  cried  and  was 


The  witch  burned  off  to  tell  tbe  giant  of  what  she  bad  accomplished 


THE   GIANT   OF   THE   BLACK   MOUNTAINS     321 

very  sad.  But  at  last  she  thought  of  the  Melon  of 
Life  locked  in  the  closet  and  ran  and  brought  it  and 
held  it  before  the  young  man's  nostrils.  No  sooner 
did  she  do  that  than  the  young  man  sneezed  seven 
times  and  sat  up  saying,  "  Oh,  what  a  sound  sleep  I 
have  had!" 

"  Sleep  !  "  exclaimed  the  princess,  "  it  was  a  sleep 
out  of  which  you  would  never  have  awakened  had  it 
not  been  for  the  Melon  of  Life." 

Then  she  told  him  of  how  she  had  found  him 
perfectly  lifeless.  "  There  is  some  villainy  in  this," 
said  he,  "  and  we  had  better  be  on  the  watch." 

So  he  got  his  bow  and  arrows,  and  he  and  the 
princess  went  up  on  a  tower  to  look  around  and  see 
if  any  danger  threatened.  They  had  not  been  long 
there  when  they  perceived  the  giant  and  the  witch 
coming  from  the  forest.  Then  the  young  man  let 
fly  an  arrow  and  it  hit  the  witch  and  that  was  the  end 
of  her.  The  giant  did  not  wait  for  him  to  shoot 
another  arrow.  He  hastened  away  as  fast  as  he 
could  go  and  was  never  seen  in  the  Black  Mountains 
again,  and  the  young  man  and  the  princess  lived 
very  happily  in  the  castle  ever  after. 


LAZY  JACK 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  boy  whose 
name  was  Jack,  and  he  lived  with  his  mother 
in  a  little  house  on  the  borders  of  a  village. 
They  were  very  poor  and  the  woman  kept  busy  day 
in  and  day  out  at  her  spinning-wheel ;  but  Jack  did 
no  work  at  all.  He  would  lie  in  the  sunshine  when 
the  weather  was  warm,  and  when  the  weather  was 
cold  he  would  sit  beside  the  fire. 

Time  passed  along  and  Jack  grew  to  be  a  young 
man,  but  still  his  mother  could  not  get  him  to  do 
anything  for  her,  and  finally,  just  after  breakfast  one 
Monday  morning,  when  she  was  beginning  her 
spinning  and  Jack  had  settled  himself  comfortably 
in  the  chimney-corner,  she  said  to  him,  "Jack, 
unless  you  begin  to  work  I  shall  turn  you  out  of 
the  house  for  good  and  all,  and  you  will  have  to  get 
your  living  as  best  you  may/* 

Lazy  Jack  did  not  care  to  run  the  risk  of  losing 
his  home.  "  The  only  safe  thing  for  me  to  do/' 
thought  he,  "  is  to  find  a  job  at  oncea"  and  he  got  up 


LAZY  JACK  323 

and  went  to  a  neighboring  woodcutter  and  hired 
himself  for  the  day.  When  evening  came  the  wood- 
cutter gave  the  lad  a  penny  for  his  services,  and  Jack 
set  off  for  home  well  satisfied  ;  but  he  had  never  had 
money  before  and  he  handled  it  so  carelessly  that  in 
crossing  a  narrow  foot-bridge  over  a  brook  he 
dropped  the  penny  into  the  water.  The  brook  was 
deep,  yet  he  could  see  the  penny  lying  on  the 
bottom  and  he  poked  about  with  a  stick  hoping  to 
get  it  out.  That  only  stirred  up  the  mud,  and  soon 
the  penny  was  hopelessly  lost.  Then  Jack  went  on 
home  and  told  his  mother  what  had  happened. 

"  You  stupid  boy  ! "  said  she,  "  you  should  have 
put  it  in  your  pocket." 

"  I  '11  do  so  next  time,"  said  Jack. 

On  Tuesday  morning  Jack  went  and  hired  him- 
self to  a  dairyman.  When  evening  came  the  dairy- 
man gave  him  a  quart  pail  full  of  milk  for  his 
services.  "  Now,"  said  Jack,  "  I  must  not  lose  this 
milk  as  I  did  my  penny.  Mother  told  me  I  should 
have  put  what  I  got  in  my  pocket,  and  I  will  this 
time.  My  jacket  pockets  are  large  and  deep,  and  I 
think  the  pail  will  go  in  very  well." 

So  he  put  the  pail  of  milk  into  one  of  his  jacket 
pockets  and  walked  off  home;  and  by  the  time  he 
got  there  the  milk  was  all  spilled. 


324  LAZY  JACK 

"Dear  me  !  "  said  his  mother,  "you  should  have 
carried  it  on  your  head." 

"  I  '11  do  so  next  time,"  said  Jack. 

On  Wednesday  morning  Jack  went  and  hired 
himself  to  a  farmer.  When  evening  came  the  farmer 
gave  him  a  cream  cheese  for  his  services.  u  Now," 
said  Jack,  "  I  must  not  lose  this  cheese  as  I  did  the 
milk  yesterday.  Mother  told  me  I  should  have 
carried  what  I  got  on  my  head,  and  I  will  this 


time." 


So  he  took  the  cheese  and  put  it  on  his  head ; 
but  the  day  was  warm,  and  the  cheese  melted,  and 
some  of  it  dropped  off  along  the  way  and  the  rest 
was  matted  in  his  hair. 

"  You  foolish  fellow,"  said  his  mother,  "  you 
should  have  carried  it  in  your  hands." 

"  I  '11  do  so  next  time,"  said  Jack. 

On  Thursday  morning  Jack  went  and  hired  him- 
self to  a  baker.  When  evening  came  the  baker 
gave  him  a  large  tom-cat  for  his  services.  "  Now," 
said  Jack,  "  I  must  not  lose  this  tom-cat  as  I  did 
the  cream  cheese  yesterday.  Mother  told  me  I 
should  have  carried  what  I  got  in  my  hands,  and  I 
will  this  time." 

So  he  took  up  the  cat  and  carried  it  along  in  his 
hands ;  but  pussy  began  to  scratch,  and  the  tighter 


LAZY  JACK  325 

he  gripped  it  the  worse  it  clawed,  until  he  had  to  let 
it  go.  As  soon  as  he  reached  home  Jack  told  his 
mother  how  the  cat  got  away,  and  she 
said,  "  You  silly  lad,  you  should  have 
tied  it  with  a  string  and  dragged  it 
along  after  you." 

"  I  '11  do  so  next  time,"  said  Jack. 

On  Friday  morning  Jack  went  and 
hired  himself  to  a  butcher.     When 
evening  came  the  butcher  gave 
him  a  nice  leg  of  mutton  for 
his  services.    "  Now,"  said 
Jack,   "  I    must    not    lose 
this    mutton    as    I    did 
the  tom-cat  yesterday. 
Mother  told  me  I  should 
have  tied  a  string  to  what 
I  got  and  dragged  it  along 
after  me,  and   I   will  this 
time." 

So  he  tied  a  string  to  the  leg  of  mutton 
and  dragged  it  along  after  him  in  the  dirt,  and  when 
he  got  home  he  found  the  mutton  was  spoiled.  His 
mother  was  more  out  of  patience  with  him  than  ever. 
"  You  ninny-hammer,"  said  she,  "  you  should  have 
carried  it  on  your  shoulder." 


j  26  LAZY  JACK 

"  I  '11  do  so  next  time/'  said  Jack. 

On  Saturday  morning  Jack  went  and  hired  him- 
self to  a  cattle-keeper.  When  evening  came  the 
cattle-keeper  rewarded  him  for  his  services  with 
a  little  donkey  that  was  too  old  to  be  of  any 
more  use  on  the  farm.  "  Now,"  said  Jack,  "  I  must 
not  lose  this  donkey  as  I  did  that  leg  of  mutton 
yesterday.  Mother  told  me  I  should  have  carried 
what  I  got  on  my  shoulder,  and  I  will  this  time." 

Jack  was  a  stout  fellow,  and  after  considerable 
trouble  he  succeeded  in  hoisting  the  donkey  to  his 
shoulders  and  started  for  home.  As  it  happened, 
he  had  to  pass  the  mansion  of  a  rich  man  whose 
only  daughter  was  deaf  and  dumb.  She  had  never 
laughed  in  her  life,  and  the  doctors  said  unless  she 
was  made  to  laugh  she  could  not  hope  to  have  either 
speech  or  hearing  to  the  end  of  her  days.  So  every- 
thing was  done  that  could  be  thought  of  to  make 
her  laugh,  but  nothing  was  accomplished.  At  last 
the  father  proclaimed  that  the  first  man  who  suc- 
ceeded in  making  his  daughter  laugh  should  have 
her  for  his  wife. 

When  Jack  came  along  with  the  donkey  on  his 
shoulders  the  young  lady  was  looking  out  of  the 
window,  and  the  sight  was  so  strange  and  comical 
that  she  began  to  laugh  very  heartily,  and  im- 


LAZY   JACK 

mediately  she  could  speak  and  hear.  Her  father  was 
overjoyed,  and  he  sent  for  Jack  and  told  him  how 
things  were,  and  Jack  married  the  daughter  and  was 
thus  made  a  rich  gentleman.  He  and  his  wife  had 
a  beautiful  home,  and  Jack's  mother  lived  with  them 
in  great  happiness  for  the  rest  of  her  days. 


THE   ELVES   AND   THE    SHOE- 
MAKER 

THERE  was  once  a  shoemaker  who,  though 
he  worked  very  hard  and  was  very  honest, 
yet  could  not  earn  enough  to  live  on.  At 
last  all  his  money  was  gone  and  he  had  the  leather 
for  only  one  more  pair  of  shoes.  That  evening  he 
cut  the  leather  to  have  it  ready  to  make  into  shoes 
the  next  day.  "Alas!"  said  he,  "things  are  in  a 
bad  way  ;  but  I  've  done  the  best  I  could,  and  now 
I  may  as  well  go  to  bed." 

So  he  went  to  bed  and  fell  asleep.  Early  in  the 
morning  he  sat  down  to  his  work,  when,  to  his  great 
astonishment,  there  stood  the  shoes  all  made  on  the 
table.  The  good  man  knew  not  what  to  say  or  think 
of  this  strange  event.  He  looked  at  the  workman- 
ship. "  Not  a  false  stitch  in  the  whole  job,"  said 
he.  "  How  neat  and  true.  It  is  better  work  than 
I  could  do  myself." 

Presently  a  customer  came  in,  and  the  shoemaker 
showed  him  the  new  pair  of  shoes.  The  customer 


THE   ELVES   AND   THE   SHOEMAKER       329 

examined  them  and  was  so  much  pleased  with  them 
that  he  willingly  paid  a  higher  price  than  usual. 
With  this  money  the  shoemaker  bought  leather 
enough  to  make  two  pairs  more.  In  the  evening  he 
cut  out  the  work  and  went  early  to  bed,  that  he 
might  be  up  and  start  making  the  shoes  at  daybreak 
on  the  morrow.  But  when  he  rose  with  the  first 
light  in  the  morning,  there  on  the  table  were  the  two 
pairs  of  shoes  all  finished.  Buyers  came  in  who 
paid  him  handsomely  for  the  shoes,  and  he  had  the 
money  to  buy  leather  for  four  pairs  more.  He  cut 
out  the  work  again  in  the  evening,  and  found  it 
finished  the  next  morning.  Thus  matters  went  on 
for  some  time  —  whatever  leather  was  got  ready 
in  the  evening  was  always  made  into  shoes  by 
daylight,  and  the  good  man  soon  became  quite 
prosperous. 

One  evening,  shortly  before  Christmas,  as  the 
shoemaker  and  his  wife  were  sitting  by  the  fire 
chatting  together,  he  said  to  her,  "  I  would  like  to 
stay  up  and  watch  to-night  and  see  who  it  is  that 
comes  and  does  my  work  for  me." 

"  I  think  that  is  a  very  good  plan,"  said  his  wife, 
"  and  I  will  stay  up  with  you." 

So  they  left  a  light  burning  and  hid  themselves  in 
a  corner  of  the  room  behind  a  curtain  and  watched 


3JO       THE   ELVES   AND   THE   SHOEMAKER 

what  should  happen.  They  saw  nothing  unusual 
until  the  clock  struck  twelve.  Then  two  little  elves 
slipped  in  at  the  door  and  sat  down  on  the  shoe- 


maker's bench.  They  took  up  the  work  that  was 
cut  out,  and  how  their  fingers  flew !  -  They  rapped 
and  tapped  and  stitched  away  at  such  a  rate  that  the 
shoemaker  was  all  amazement  and  could  not  take  his 
eyes  off  them  for  a  moment.  Not  once  did  they 
stop  till  the  job  was  finished  and  the  shoes  stood 


THE   ELVES   AND   THE   SHOEMAKER       33 1 

ready  for  use  on  the  table.  The  elve  s  were  through 
Jong  before  daybreak.  However,  they  did  not 
loiter,  but  at  once  bustled  out  o€  the  house. 

The  next  day  the  wife  sairU  to  the  shoemaker, 
"Those  little  men  have  marLie  us  rich  and  we  ought 
to  be  thankful  to  them  an;d  do  them  a  good  office  in 
return.  I  tell  you  w'nat  I  will  do — I  will  make 
them  each  a  suit  of  clothes,  and  you  can  make  each 
of  them  a  little  rvair  of  shoes." 

"Yes,"  said  the  shoemaker,  "and  we  will  have 
the  things  ready  to  give  them  for  Christmas." 

So  the  sh  oemaker  made  the  little  shoes,  and  his 

wife  made  t'he  clothes,  and  the  night  before  Christmas 

they  laid    these  things  on  the  table,  instead  of  the 

leather  ^vhich  was  usually  put  there.     Then  they  hid 

behind/  the  curtain  to  watch  what  the    little    elves 

would1  do.     The  clock  struck  twelve,  and  in  they 

camre  and  were  going  to  sit  down  to  their  work  ;  but 

wK'ien  they  saw  the  clothes  lying  on  the  table  for 

them,  they  picked  them  up  and  laughed  and  danced 

and  were  greatly  delighted.     For  a  little  while  they 

capered  and  jumped  about  as  merry  as  could   be, 

shaking  the  clothes  and    looking    them    over,  and 

singing, 

"  Now  we  've  clothes  so  fine  and  neat, 
Why  cobble  more  for  others'  feet  ?" 


332       THE.  ELVES   AND   THE   SHOEMAKER 

Then,  with  the  clothes  in  their  hands,  they  danced 
out  of  the  door,  ajid  they  never  came  to  the  house 
again.  But  everything  went  well  with  the  shoe- 
maker from  that  tinu  as  long  as  he  lived. 


•• 


< 


THE   WISE   MEN   OF   GOTHAM 

JOHN  BLACK  and  Thomas  Brown  were  two 
men  of  Gotham.  They  we^e  neighbors,  but  they 
were  not  good  friends.  One  day  when  Thomas 
was  returning  home  from  Nottingham  market  he 
met  John  on  Nottingham  bridge  and  called  out 
roughly,  "Where  are  you  going,  man?" 

"  That 's  none  of  your  business,"  replied  John, 
"  but  I  don't  mind  telling  you  that  I  am  going  to 
Nottingham  to  buy  sheep." 

"  Buy  sheep  ! "  said  Thomas,  "  and  which  way 
will  you  bring  them  home  ? " 

"  Oh,"  responded  John,  "  I  will  bring  them  over 
this  bridge." 

"  No  you  won't,"  said  Thomas.  "  I  'm  going  to 
stay  right  here  and  stop  them." 

"  You  'd  better  not  try  any  tricks  of  that  sort !  " 
exclaimed  John,  "  or  it  will  be  the  worse  for  you." 

"  I  'm  not  afraid  of  your  threats !  "  shouted 
Thomas,  "  and  I  say  again,  I  '11  never  let  you  drive 
your  sheep  across  this  bridge." 


334 


THE   WISE    MEN   OF   GOTHAM 


«  You  will !  "  yelled  John. 

"  I  won't !  "  declared  the  other. 

Each  man  carried  a  stout  cane,  and  as  they  talked 


they  swung  their  canes  in  the  air  and  thumped  with 
them  on  the  ground. 

"  If  you  act  like  that,"  said  John,  "  you  will 
make  my  sheep  jump  over  the  side  of  the  bridge 
into  the  water  and  they  will  drown." 


THE   WISE   MEN   OF   GOTHAM  335 

"  Let  them  drown,"  said  Thomas.  "  I  don't 
care.  You  can  take  them  home  some  other 
way." 

"  No,  I  shall  not ! "  said  John,  "  I  shall  bring 
them  across  this  bridge." 

"  You  will  get  a  rap  on  your  head  with  my  cane 
if  you  do,"  said  Thomas. 

While  they  were  quarrelling  another  man  of 
Gotham  came  from  the  market  leading  a  horse 
with  a  bag  of  meal  on  its  back.  He  stopped  on 
the  bridge  and  listened  to  learn  what  the  trouble 
was  between  his  two  neighbors.  "  How  is  this  ?  " 
said  he  — "  you  are  ready  to  come  to  blows  over 
some  sheep ;  but  I  see  not  a  single  sheep  for  you 
to  fight  about." 

"  No,"  explained  the  other  two,  "  they  are  not 
bought  yet." 

"  Ah,  foolish  men  !  "  said  the  newcomer.  "  Where 
is  your  common-sense?  Here,  lift  this  bag  of 
meal  from  the  horse  to  my  shoulders  and  I  will 
show  you  what  I  think  of  you." 

They  did  as  he  suggested,  and  then  he  went  to 
the  side  of  the  bridge,  untied  the  mouth  of  the 
bag  and  shook  all  his  meal  out  into  the  river. 
"  Now,  neighbors,"  said  he,  "  how  much  meal  is 
there  in  my  bag  ?  " 


33  6  THE   WISE   MEN   OF   GOTHAM 

"  Why,  surely,"  replied  they,  "  there  is  none 
at  all." 

"  Quite  right !  "  said  he,  "  and  just  as  much  wit 
is  there  in  your  two  heads  to  stir  up  a  strife  about 
a  thing  you  have  not." 

So  the  three  men  went  their  ways,  and  which  was 
the  wisest  of  these  three  persons,  do  you  think  ? 


THE  SALT  FISH  AND  THE  EEL 

THE  men  of  Gotham  were  very  fond  of  salt 
fish,  and  they  bought  a  great  many  of 
them.  There  was,  indeed,  no  meat  food 
they  had  on  their  tables  oftener.  Of  course  the  cost 
was  considerable,  and  one  time,  about  the  beginning 
of  winter,  the  men  of  Gotham  got  together  to  con- 
sider how  to  save  this  expense. 

"  We  have  a  nice  large  pond  right  in  the  middle 
of  our  town,"  said  one  man ;  "  why  not  raise  our 
own  fish  ? " 

"  Yes,  it  is  a  good  pond,"  said  another,  "  but 
where  would  we  get  the  fish  to  stock  it  with?" 

"  That  is  easily  done,"  responded  the  first  man. 
"  You  well  know  how  fish  multiply.  Have  we  not 
in  our  homes  many  fish  not  yet  eaten  ?  Put  those 
in  the  pond  and  let  them  breed,  and  next  year  we 
shall  have  a  plenty.  We  will  not  need  to  go  to 
market  for  our  salt  fish,  but  will  catch  them  as  we 
want  them  from  our  pond." 


338  THE   SALT   FISH   AND   THE   EEL 

"  Good  !  good  !  "  cried  the  men  of  Gotham 
clapping  their  hands  and  stamping  their  feet.  "  Let 
every  man  who  has  salt  fish  left  cast  them  into  the 
pond  !  " 

"  I  have  many  white  herrings/*  said  one. 

"  I  have  many  sprats,"  said  another. 

"  I  have  many  red  herrings,"  said  another. 

So  they  all  told  what  salt  fish  they  had  and  said, 
"  Yes,  yes,  throw  them  into  the  pond  and  we  shall 
fare  like  lords  next  year !  " 

Without  farther  delay  the  salt  fish  were  put  into 
the  pond,  and  when  spring  came  the  men  of  Gotham 
thought  the  fish  must  have  multiplied  and  that  it 
was  time  to  take  some  of  them  out.  So  they 
dragged  the  pond  with  a  net  and  drew  it  to  the 
shore  expecting  to  find  it  full  of  fish,  but  it  was 
empty.  Again  and  again  they  dragged  it  through 
the  pond,  yet  do  what  they  would  they  could  not 
catch  any  fish.  However,  at  last  a  large  fat  eel  was 
found  in  the  net. 

"  Ah  !  "  said  they  all,  "  a  mischief  on  this  eel,  for 
he  has  eaten  all  our  fish." 

"  And  now  what  shall  we  do  with  him  ? "  said 
they. 

"  Kill  him  ! "  said  one. 

"  Chop  him  into  pieces !  "  said  another. 


THE   SALT   FISH   AND   THE   EEL  339 

"  Not  so,"  said  another ;  "  let  us  drown  him  !  " 
"  Be  it  so  ! "  said  all,  and  the  men  of  Gotham 


rowed  their  boat  out  to  the  middle  of  the  pond  and 
threw  the  eel  overboard  into  the  deep  water. 

When  they  saw  the  eel  wriggling  down  toward  the 
bottom  one  man  said,  "  Do  you  notice  how  fright- 
ened he  is  ?  See  how  he  squirms  and  twists  with 
terror." 


340  THE   SALT   FISH   AND   THE   EEL 

"  He  may  squirm  and  twist  as  much  as  he  pleases," 
said  another  man.  "  He  must  shift  for  himself 
now." 

"Yes,"  said  they  all,  "he  shall  have  no  help 
from  us ;  "  and  they  left  the  eel  to  drown. 


A    MISSING    MAN   FOUND 

ONCE  upon  a  time  twelve  men  of  Gotham 
went  fishing  in  the  stream  that  supplied  the 
town  pond,  and  sometimes  they  fished  from 
the  shore,  and  sometimes  they  waded  out  into  the 
stream  to  get  better  positions  from  which  to  cast 
their  lines.  As  they  were  coming  back  one  of  them 
said,  "  We  have  ventured  much  this  day  wading.  I 
pray  God  that  none  of  us  that  did  come  from  home 
be  drowned." 

"  Let  us  see  about  that,"  said  a  second  man. 
"  Twelve  of  us  came  out  this  morning.  I  jvill  count 
and  see  if  there  be  twelve  going  back." 

So  he  counted,  "  One,  two,  three,  four,  five,  six, 
seven,  eight,  nine,  ten,  eleven" 

But  he  forgot  to  count  himself.  "I  can  make  no 
more  than  eleven,"  said  he.  "  Surely,  one  of  us 
is  drowned." 

Then  the  other  men  counted,  but  each  forgot  to 
count  himself  and  could  find  only  eleven.  "Alas!" 


342  A   MISSING   MAN   FOUND 

said  one  to  another,  "  there  is  no  doubt  about  it. 
One  of  us  is  drowned." 

They  went  back  to  the  stream  where  they  had 
been  fishing  and  looked  up  and  down  for  him  that 
was  drowned  and  made  great  lamentation.  By  and 
by  a  man  of  Nottingham  came  riding  past.  "  What 
are  you  looking  for  there  ? "  he  asked,  "  and  why 
are  you  so  sorrowful  ? " 

"  Oh,"  said  they,  "  this  day  we  came  to  fish  in 
this  stream,  and  there  were  twelve  of  us,  and  one  is 
drowned,  for  now  there  are  but  eleven  of  us." 

"  Count  me  how  many  of  you  there  be,"  said  the 
stranger. 

One  of  the  men  of  Gotham  counted,  and  as  he 
did  not  count  himself  he  made  eleven. 

"  Well,"  said  the  stranger,  "  what  will  you  give 
me  if  I  will  find  the  twelfth  man  ?  " 

"  Sir,"  said  they,  "  we  will  give  you  all  the  money 
we  have." 

"  Give  me  the  money,"  said  the  Nottingham 
man. 

When  the  money  was  safe  in  his  pocket  he  said, 
"  Now  pass  in  front  of  me ;  and  he  began  with  the 
first  man  and  hit  him  a  crack  on  the  shoulders  with 
his  whip. 

"  There  is  one,"  said  he. 


A   MISSING    MAN   FOUND 


343 


The  next  one  he  cracked  with  his  whip  likewise. 
"  There  are  two,"  said  he ;  and  so  he  served  them 
all  down  to  the  last,  whom  he  gave  an  extra  hard 
blow  and  said,  "  Here  is  your  twelfth  man." 

"  God  bless  your  heart !  "  said  all  the  company  ; 
"  you  have  found  our  neighbor." 


THE    KETTLE    THAT    WOULD 
NOT    WALK 

ONE  day  a  Gotham  man  was  getting  ready 
to  go  to  market,  and  his  wife  said  to  him, 
"Husband,  we  need  a  new  iron  kettle  for 
the  fireplace.  Don't  fail  to  buy  one." 

So  the  man  bought  a  kettle  at  Nottingham, 
and  toward  evening  he  took  it  on  his  arm  and 
started  for  home.  But  the  kettle  was  heavy,  and 
at  length  his  arm  grew  tired  with  carrying  it 
and  he  set  it  down.  While  he  was  resting  he 
noticed  that  the  kettle  had  three  legs.  "  What  a 
pity  I  did  not  see  those  legs  before  !  "  cried  the 
man.  "  Here  you  have  three  legs  and  I  have  but 
two,  and  yet  I  have  been  carrying  you.  'Twere 
fairer  that  you  had  carried  me.  Well,  you  shall 
take  me  the  rest  of  the  way,  at  least.'* 

Then  he  seated  himself  in  the  kettle  and  said, 
"  Now,  go  on  ;  I  am  all  ready  ;  "  but  the  kettle  stood 
stock  still  on  its  three  legs  and  would  not  move. 


THE   KETTLE   THAT   WOULD   NOT   WALK     345 

"  Ah  ! "  said  the  man,  "  you  are  stubborn,  are 
you  ?  You  want  me  to  keep  on  carrying  you,  I 
suppose ;  but  I  shall  not.  I  will  tell  you  the  way 
and  you  can  stay  where  you  are  until  you  get  ready 
to  follow  me." 

So  he  told  the  kettle 
where  he  lived  and  how 
to  get  there,  and  then 
off  the  man  went. 
When  he  reached  home 
his  wife  asked  him 
where  the  kettle  was. 

"  Oh,  it  will 
be  along  in 
good  time,"  he 
replied. 

"And  what 
do  you  mean  by  that  ? "  said  she. 

"Why,"  said  he,  "the  kettle  I  bought  has  three 
legs,  and  was  better  able  to  walk  here  from  Notting- 
ham market  than  I  who  have  but  two  legs.  Yet 
I  never  noticed  it  had  legs  until  Iwas  nearly  here. 
Then  I  told  it  to  walk  the  rest  of  the  way  itself, 
for  I  would  carry  it  no  farther." 

"Where  did  you  leave  it?  "  asked  the  wife. 

"  You  need  not  be  anxious,"  responded  the  man. 


346     THE    KETTLE   THAT    WOULD    NOT   WALK 

"  I  told  it  the  way,  and  it  will  be  along  in  good 
time,  as  I  said  before." 

"And  where  did  you  leave  it?"  again  asked 
the  wife. 

:c  At  Gotham  bridge,"  he  replied. 

She  was  not  so  sure  about  its  coming  as  he  was 
and  she  hurried  off  to  get  it,  and  when  she  brought 
it  home  the  man  said,  "  I  am  glad  you  have  it  safe, 
wife,  for  I  have  been  thinking  while  you  were  gone 
that  it  might  have  taken  a  notion  to  walk  back  to 
Nottingham  if  we  had  left  it  alone  there  in  the 
road  much  longer." 


THE  LITTLE  HORSE  AND  ITS 
KIND  MASTER 

THERE  was  once  a  man  of  Gotham  who 
started  for  market  with  two  bushels  of 
wheat,  and  the  wheat  was  in  a  bag  laid 
across  his  horse's  back,  and  the  man  sat  just  behind 
the  bag.  But  he  had  not  gone  far  when  another 
man  of  Gotham  called  to  him  from  a  wayside  field 
and  said,  "Your  horse  is  small,  neighbor,  for  so 
much  of  a  load.  Why  do  you  not  walk  and 
lead  it?" 

"  That  is  what  I  would  do,"  replied  the  first 
man ;  "  but  my  foot  is  lame  and  I  cannot  walk 
very  well." 

"  Then  if  you  must  ride,"  said  the  other,  "  I 
think  you  might  take  the  bag  of  wheat  on  your 
shoulder  so  the  horse  would  not  have  to  carry  that, 


too." 


"Why,  so  I  could,"  said  the  first  man;  and  he 
hoisted  the  bag  of  wheat  to  his  shoulder  and  there 
he  carried  it  all  the  way  to  market. 


348     THE  LITTLE  HORSE  AND  ITS  KIND  MASTER 

"  Ah,"  said  he,  when  he  reached  his  destination, 
"  how  my  little  horse  does  pant  and  sweat !  I  did 
well  to  share  the  work  with  it,  for  I  see  clearly  that 
the  horse  has  had  burden  enough  carrying  me  with- 
out having  also  to  carry  this  heavy  bag  of  wheat." 


THE  GOTHAM  MEN  AND  THE 
CUCKOO 

THE    men    of    Gotham    thought    that    the 
cuckoos  were  the  finest  songsters  of  all  the 
birds.     "  The    only    thing   I   do   not   like 
about  the  cuckoos/'  said  one  man,  "  is  that  they  do 
not  sing  all  the  year  through.     They  stay  with  us 
only  a  few  months  in  the  spring  and  summer,  and 
then  they  fly  away." 

"  Well,"  said  another  man,  "  why  not  catch  one 
of  the  birds  and  keep  it  with  us  always  ?  " 

This  plan  was  pleasing  to  the  men  of  Gotham  and 
they  said,  "  Yes,  we  will  catch  a  cuckoo  and  we  will 
fix  a  place  for  it  near  the  middle  of  the  village,  so 
that  we  can  all  hear  it  sing  every  day." 

They  went  to  work  at  once  and  in  a  corner  of  a 
field  built  a  stout  paling  fence  more  than  six  fee 
high  and  filled  in  all  the  crevices  with  brush  and 
willow    twigs.     "  No    bird    can  get    through    that 
fence,"    said    they    when    it   was    finished. 


350   THE  GOTHAM  MEN  AND  THE  CUCKOO 

Then  they  caught  a  cuckoo  and  put  it  inside  of 
the  fence,  and  they  said  to  the  cuckoo,  "  You  must 
sing  there  all  through  the  year,  or  you  shall  have 
neither  meat  to  eat  nor  water  to  drink/' 

But  the  cuckoo  as  soon  as  it  was  set  free  inside  of 
the  fence  flew  away. 

u  A  vengeance  on  the  bird  !  "  exclaimed  the  men 
of  Gotham.  "We  did  not  make  our  fence  high 
enough." 


THE  HARE   THAT  WAS   SENT 
TO  YORK 

ONCE  upon  a  time  the  men  of  Gotham 
wanted  to  send  a  message  to  their  landlord 
who  lived  in  York.  This  was  before  there 
were  any  railroads  or  mails,  and  if  a  message  was  to 
be  sent,  some  one  must  go  with  it.  But  none  of  the 
citizens  of  Gotham  wished  to  go  as  far  as  York. 
"  How,  then,  shall  we  send  our  message  ?  "  said  they. 

"  I  caught  a  hare  to-day,"  said  one  man,  "  and 
hares  are  very  swift  of  foot,  you  know.  Why  not 
let  him  carry  it  ? " 

"  Very  good,"  said  all ;  cc  we  will  get  the  letter 
ready  and  we  will  tell  the  hare  the  right  way  to  go 
and  he  shall  carry  it." 

So  the  letter  was  written  and  sealed  and  tied  to  the 
hare's  neck.  "  First  you  go  to  Nottingham,"  said 
they  to  the  hare,  "  and  then  you  go  straight  on  by 
the  main  highway  to  York,  and  the  letter  is  marked 
for  our  landlord  who  lives  near  York  Cathedral. 


352   THE  HARE  THAT  WAS  SENT  TO  YORK 

You  can  ask  when  you  get  there  which  house  is  hijs. 
Commend  us  to  him  and  give  him  the  letter." 

The  hare,  as  soon  as  he  was  out  of  their  hands,  left 
the  road  and  ran  off  across  a  field,  and  some  of  the 
men  of  Gotham  cried  out  after  it,  "  Stop !  stop  ! 
You  must  go  to  Nottingham  first." 

cc  Let  the  hare  alone,"  said  one  of  those  who  was 
in  the  company.  "  He  can  tell  a  nearer  way  than  the 
best  of  us  all.  Let  him  go." 

"  Yes,"  said  another,  "  that  is  a  clever  creature. 
Let  him  alone.  He  will  not  keep  the  highway  for 
fear  of  dogs." 


THE  CRANE  IN  THE  WHEAT- 
FIELDS 

ONCE,  in  the  summer,  when  the  wheat  had 
grown  high,  a  crane  was  often  seen  in  the 
fields  belonging  to  the  Gotham  townsmen, 
walking  up  and  down  in  the  grain  patches  to  catch 
frogs.  This  troubled  the  men  of  Gotham  greatly. 
"  See  how  big  he  is,"  said  one,  "and  look  at  the 
legs  of  him.  He  is  treading  down  a  vast  deal  of 
grain,  to  be  sure." 

"  We  must  drive  the  animal  away,  or  we  shall 
have  no  harvest,"  said  another. 

"  Very  true,"  said  still  another,  "  and  the  quicker 
the  better.  Let  us  appoint  Tom  Thacker,  the 
shepherd,  for  the  job.  He  is  used  to  much  walking 
and  the  work  would  suit  him  well." 

So  Tom  Thacker,  the  shepherd,  was  appointed  to 
go  into  the  fields  and  chase  the  bird  out.  But  as  he 
went  in  after  the  crane  his  neighbors  noticed  that  his 

feet  were  very  broad  and  large,  and  though  he  scared 

23 


354      THE   CRANE   IN  THE   WHEAT-FIELDS 

off  the  bird,  he  at  the  same  time  trampled  down  a 
great  deal  of  wheat. 

"  That  will  never  do/'  said  one  of  the  townsmen, 
and  the  men  of  Gotham  puzzled  their  brains  for 
some  better  method. 


At  last  one  of  them  said,  "  The  thing  to  do  is 
this  —  some  of  us  must  carry  the  shepherd  when  he 
goes  into  the  grain  again,  so  that  he  shall  not  tread 
it  down." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  cried  the  others,  "  that  is  the  proper 
thing  to  do,  and  why  did  we  not  think  of  that  before, 
I  wonder  ? " 


THE   CRANE   IN   THE   WHEAT-FIELDS       355 

Then  they  took  a  stout  fence  gate  off  its  hinges, 
had  the  shepherd  sit  down  on  it,  and  eight  men 
lifted  the  gate  on  their  shoulders  and  carried  it 
through  the  fields  of  wheat,  where  the  crane  was  in 
the  habit  of  resorting,  that  the  shepherd  might  scare 
the  bird  away. 

"  The  shepherd  will  not  trample  down  any  more 
of  our  grain  with  his  big  feet  now,"  said  the  men  of 
Gotham. 


THE  MEN  OF  GOTHAM  AND 
THE  WATCH 

ONE  day  a  number  of  Gotham  men  were 
walking  along  the  road  when  they  found  a 
watch  lost  by  some  traveller.  None  of 
them  had  ever  seen  such  a  queer  thing  before,  and 
they  looked  at  it  with  great  surprise  and  curiosity. 
Suddenly,  one  of  the  party  who  had  taken  the  watch 
in  his  hand  noticed  that  a  ticking  sound  came  from 
the  inside  of  it. 

"  Do  you  hear  that  ? "  said  he.  "  The  thing 
must  be  possessed  by  an  evil  spirit." 

He  was  very  much  frightened  and  threw  the  watch 
away.  Not  one  of  the  party  dared  touch  it  now. 
But  the  oldest  among  them,  more  courageous  than 
the  rest,  picked  up  a  large  stone  and  hammered  the 
watch  until  it  was  entirely  smashed.  Of  course 
that  stopped  its  ticking.  The  brave  man  then 
kneeled  down  and  laid  his  ear  to  the  watch  and 
listened. 


THE  MEN  OF  GOTHAM  AND  THE  WATCH  357 

"  Ah/'  said  he  proudly  to  his  companions  when 
he  heard  no  sound,  "  I  have  taught  him  to  keep 
quiet.  That  stone  did  the  business/' 

So  they  all  rejoiced  that  they  had  destroyed  an 
evil  spirit  and  went  away  leaving  the  watch  on  the 
ground. 


THE    CHEESES    THAT    RAN 
AWAY 

THERE  was  a  man  of  Gotham  who  filled  a 
sack  with  cheeses  and  started  off  for  Not- 
tingham market  to  sell  them.  He  carried 
the  sack  on  his  back,  and  when  he  became  tired  he 
sat  down  by  the  wayside  to  rest.  Thus  he  went  on 
until  he  reached  the  summit  of  the  last  hill  he  had 
to  climb  before  he  came  to  Nottingham  bridge. 
There  he  rested,  and  when  he  rose  to  continue  his 
journey  a  cheese  slipped  out  of  the  sack  and  rolled 
down  the  hill  toward  the  bridge. 

"  Ah  !  Mr.  Cheese/'  said  the  man,  "  so  you  can 
run  to  market  alone,  can  you  ?  I  wish  I  had  known 
that  before.  It  would  have  saved  me  the  trouble 
of  carrying  you.  Well,  then,  if  you  can  go  to 
market  alone,  so  can  the  other  cheeses,  and  I  will 
send  them  along  after  you." 

So  he  laid  down  his  sack,  took  out  the  cheeses,, 
and  one  by  one  rolled  them  down  the  hill.  As  the 


THE   CHEESES   THAT    RAN   AWAY          359 

last  one  spun  down  the  road  he  shouted,  "  I  charge 
you  all  to  meet  me  at  the  market-place." 


Some  of  the  cheeses  went  into  one  bush,  and  some 
went  into  another  bush,  but  the  man  did  not  notice 
that,  and  he  trudged  on  cheerfully  to  the  market 
expecting  the  cheeses  would  meet  him  there.  All 
day  long  he  loitered  about  the  market,  and  as  even- 


360          THE   CHEESES   THAT   RAN   AWAY 

ing  approached  be  began  to  inquire  among  his 
friends  and  neighbors  and  other  men  if  they  had 
seen  his  cheeses  come  to  the  market. 

"  Who  should  bring  them  ? "  asked  one  of  the 
marketmen. 

"  Nobody,"  replied  the  man  of  Gotham.  "  They 
would  bring  themselves.  They  know  the  way  well 
enough." 

"  Why,  then,  are  they  not  here  ? "  said  the  market- 
man. 

"  A  plague  on  them  all !  "  cried  the  owner  of  the 
cheeses.  "  It  has  just  occurred  to  me  what  the 
trouble  is.  I  did  fear,  when  I  saw  them  start  off  so 
fast,  that  they  would  run  beyond  the  market,  and  I 
am  sure  they  must  be  now  miles  away  on  the  road 
to  York." 

Forthwith  he  hired  a  horse  and  rode  in  all  haste 
to  York  in  pursuit  of  his  cheeses.  But  he  did  not 
find  them  at  York,  nor  has  he  been  able  to  discover 
whither  they  ran  even  to  this  day. 


THE  LOST  LEGS 

SEVERAL  men  of  Gotham  once  sat  down  on 
the  ground  in  a  circle,  and  when  they  wanted 
to  get  up  their  legs  were  so  intermingled  that 
no  one  could  make  out  which  were  his. 

"  Alas  !  "  said  they,  "  what  a  pity  that  we  sat  down 
thus.  We  shall  never  again  be  able  to  rise  and  walk 
—  that  is  quite  plain." 

So  they  remained  sitting  there  very  sorrowful  and 
quiet  until  they  saw  a  traveller  passing.  They  called 
to  him  and  asked  if  he  could  tell  them  how  they 
might  find  their  legs.  The  traveller  took  his  cane 
and  pointed  out  to  each  man  his  feet.  "  Now," 
said  he,  "  you  know  where  your  feet  are,  all  you 
need  do  is  to  stand  on  them." 

But  his  explanations  only  confused  the  men  of 
Gotham  the  more.  "  It  is  of  no  use,"  said  they. 
"  However,  we  thank  you,  sir,  for  your  good  inten- 
tions." 

"  Oh,  well,"  said  the  traveller,  "  I  have  n't  given 
up  yet.  I  '11  try  one  more  plan." 


362 


THE   LOST   LEGS 


Then  he  struck  one  of  the  men  smartly  on  the 
legs  with  his  cane,  and  that  man  discovered  which 
legs  were  his  in  no  time  and  scrambled  away.  The 
traveller  served  another  man  in  like  manner,  and  a 


third,  and  so  on  till  every  man  tumbled  out  of  the 
heap  and  got  on  his  feet. 

"  How  remarkable ! "  said  one  of  them,  "  that 
with  the  rap  of  a  stick  we  should  discover  our  legs 
so  quickly  when  with  all  our  thinking  we  could  not 
have  determined  which  were  which  had  we  sat  there 
a  hundred  years." 


THE    HIDING    OF    THE 
CHURCH    BELL 

THE  men  of  Gotham  were  once  greatly 
scared  by  a  report  that  enemies  were  about 
to  invade  their  country.  They  were  anxious 
to  save  as  much  as  they  could  from  falling  into  the 
hands  of  the  invaders;  and  first  of  all  they  decided 
to  save  their  church  bell,  which  they  prized  more 
than  anything  else.  After  a  great  deal  of  trouble 
they  succeeded  in  getting  it  down  out  of  the  church 
steeple ;  but  what  to  do  with  it  then  was  far  from 
easy  to  determine. 

"  Where  shall  we  hide  it  so  the  enemy  cannot  find 
it  ?  "  asked  one  of  another. 

At  last  some  one  said,  "  Let  us  sink  it  in  the 
deepest  part  of  our  pond." 

"  Agreed  ! "  said  his  fellows,  and  they  dragged  the 
bell  down  to  the  shore  of  the  pond  and  got  it  aboard 
a  boat. 

Then  they  rowed  out  to  the  middle  of  the  pond 
and  hoisted  the  bell  overboard.  After  it  had  dis- 


364      THE   HIDING    OF   THE    CHURCH   BELL 

appeared  the  worthy  citizens  of  Gotham  began  to 
think  they  had  been  hasty.  ."  The  bell  is  now  truly 
safe  from  the  enemy/'  said  they ;  cc  but  how  are  we 
to  find  it  when  the  enemy  has  left  us  ? " 


One  of  them,  who  was  wiser  than  the  rest,  sprang 
up  and  cried,  "That  is  easy  enough.  All  we  have 
to  do  is  to  cut  a  mark  where  we  dropped  it  in ! " 

He  snatched  a  knife  from  his  pocket  and  cut  a 
deep  notch  in  the  side  of  the  boat  where  the  bell 


THE   HIDING    OF  THE   CHURCH   BELL     365 

had  been  thrown  overboard.     "  It  was   right  here 
that  we  heaved  the  bell  out,"  said  he. 

Then  the  men  of  Gotham  rowed  back  to  the  shore, 
fully  assured  that  they  would  be  able  to  find  their 
bell  by  the  mark  on  the  side  of  the  boat. 


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With  12  full-page  pictures  by  Jessie  Willcox  Smith.    $2.00. 

4.  JO'S  BOYS,  and  How  They  Turned  Out 

A  Sequel  to  "  Little  Men/'  With  10  full-page  plates  by  Ellen  Wetherald 
Ahrens.  $2.00. 

5.  EIGHT  COUSINS ;  or,  the  Aunt-Hill 

With  8  full-page  pictures  by  Harriet  Roosevelt  Richards. 

6.  ROSE  IN  BLOOM 

A  Sequel  to  "  Eight  Cousins."  WTith  8  full-page  pictures  by  Harriet 
Roosevelt  Richards.  $2.00. 

7.  UNDER  THE  LILACS 

With  8  original  full-page  pictures  by  Alice  Barber  Stephens.    $2.00. 

8.  JACK  AND  JILL 

With  8  full-page  pictures  from  drawings  by  Harriet  Roosevelt  Richards. 
$2.00. 

The  artists  selected  to  illustrate  have  caught  the  spirit  of  the  originals  and  contributed  a 

series  of  strikingly  beautiful  and  faithful  pictures  of  the  author's  characters  and  scenes.  — 

Boston  Herald. 

Alice  Barber  Stephens,  who  is  very  near  the  head  of  American  illustrators,  has  shown 

wonderful  ability  in  delineating  the  characters  and  costumes  for  "Little  Women."     They  are 

almost  startlingly  realistic.  —  Worcester  Spy. 

Miss  Alcott's  books  have  never  before  had  such  an  attractive  typographical  dress  as  the 

present.     They  are  printed  in  large  type  on  heavy  paper,  artistically  bound,  and  illustrated 

with  many  full-page  drawings.  —  Philadelphia  Press. 

LITTLE,    BROWN,   &    COMPANY 

Publishers,  154   WASHINGTON    STREET,  BOSTON,  MASS. 


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